Stigmatize
by egochan
Summary: Ryou runs away from his Yami. Life isn't easy outside his home since everyone wants to help out. Another story by Ego. Uh, PG13 because of things like rape, injury, destruction of property yeah right, real bad and...stuff - -U Hehe....
1. Chapter 1: Sleep

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own a 6-string acoustic guitar: spin-off of a Gibson. If you want to know, it stays in tune uncannily well.  
  
  
  
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Stigmatized  
  
Chapter 1: Sleep  
  
Ryou was sitting down, back to the computer desk. Hanging from his neck by a bit of leather rope was a gold circular trinket about as big around as a large cup's saucer. It was style as a ring around a right side up triangle with the Eye of Thoth in its very center. At separate intervals in the design there was hardly intelligible hieroglyphic inscriptions. Ryou ran his fingers over them lightly in the dim room. On some invisible impulse, he wheeled his seat around, turned on his desk lamp, and scooted in towards the wooden surface. He moved his homework out of the way and placed the Millennium Ring on the table.  
  
Ryou reached down into the desk drawers and pulled out a thick volume on Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Adjusting the light's beams, he opened it and sighed at what greeted him from the many pages. Every paragraph, every symbol, had been painstakingly inked out with a black marker.  
  
Disappointed, Ryou closed the text. Now why had the Spirit of the Ring [Ryou knew it hadn't been his father] taken so much time to keep his Hikari from translating the Item's writing? Surely the information wasn't that important or incriminating?  
  
The white haired boy shrugged and leaned back, hands behind his head. He'd never get the answer to THAT for sure he knew.  
  
It was late. The sun had long disappeared behind the modern cityscape of Domino. Ryou had been watching it through the window, as the office grew ever darker. That had been hours ago. He was reasonability tired from just sitting for the whole evening. His eyes, without his knowledge or official consent, began to droop down.  
  
Ryou lay in his chair, hands up behind his bushy white head, eyes half closed and slipping, for several minutes. The dim glow of his lamp's low watt bulb casting deep shadow across the office and the low, rolling hum of the heater sent lucid relaxation vibes in the boy's direction. The deep blue eyes were soon blinded to the pleasant darkness of looking into the back of their weighted lids. The moment was peaceful, the effects were soothing. The usual tenseness in the child's posture was smoothly drawn away. A fear ever present tried vigorously to claw it's way back into Ryou's present state, but he shoved it to the back of his mind as caution, pain, and worry were moved to some deep foreign region for the time. The boy's arms fell limply to his side as he inched ever nearer to the calming resurrection sure to arise from a good long dreamless sleep courtesy of a rather forgiving Mr. Sandman.  
  
  
  
There was an almighty, extremely violent crash. Winged seraphs of the sky passing on some errand might have slightly winch at the sound and felt it from were ever they sang, as the chair fell over backwards onto the hard wood. Ryou let out an alarmed high yelp of pain as his head knocked on the floor with force enough to have cause demons burning below to glance up at the thud in mild surprise.  
  
Ryou lay sprawled out on the floor stunned and blinking as he tried to digest what had just happened. It was obvious after a few seconds on speed flashback that he'd slowly leaned a little of a lot too far back. This had considerably altered his center of gravity.  
  
Slowly, Ryou tried to get up. There were sprinkles of light flashing hazily before his eyes, obscuring his vision. The child trembled rather viciously from the sudden shock, his lungs burning for he'd temporally forgotten about breathing. Ryou was quickly sitting up, taking short gasps of air as his surprised heart tried to calm down as well. His face, now paler that his alabaster locks, began to regain its little original color while the blood rushed back.  
  
Falling out of a chair, Ryou knew now, in mid doze was not a pleasurable experience in any way, shape, or form. He rose steadily to his feet. There was a dull throbbing in his skull from the traumatic connection with the hard wood floor. Sighing, he picked up the seat and placed it next to the desk. Tired now again, he decided he's better get to his room before he passed out. He exited, holding slightly to the wall for support.  
  
"Hello, Dad." Ryou greeted his father as he entered the living room.  
  
The dark haired lightly tanned man looked up to his unusually pale son from his seat on the couch. His eyes were worried and more than a little frightened. He could only imagine what the violent sound earlier had been.  
  
"Ryou, what _was_ that sound? I heard a crash in the office. Was it..." his father's voice lowered, "...was it.Him?"  
  
Ryou knew his father meant the Spirit of the Ring. He shook his head,  
  
"No, I just fell asleep in my chair. It fell back and I was startled. Nothing happened to me past being slightly disoriented, really." The man sighed with relief at this.  
  
"Okay. I think you should go to your room then. You've completely totaled your bedtime. Don't let me keep you from your sleep." His father said turning back to his paper work.  
  
  
  
Ryou left, continuing to his room. His entered quietly. The moon through the window illuminated the area with a foggy blue glow before he turned on the light. Hastily putting on some bedclothes, he soon switched the bright away, making a blind beeline to his mattress. Safely under the covers, he took out a concealed flashlight and a small navy blue book and pen.  
  
Opening to a clean page, he began to write:  
  
  
  
"Journal,  
  
'Is it me, or are Sundays extremely dull? Nothing happened at all today. Nothing good on TV and the radio full of music countdowns. Extremely boring day.  
  
Where in the circular lake of damnation is the Spirit of the Ring? I haven't seen Him at all today. Not once have heard His voice in my head, sending me those terrible images and thoughts. I'm actually worried. Did something happen to Him? I would check through the Ring but it might anger Him. I don't want Him mad at me. You know I don't entirely loathe my Yami. Father is of a different opinion. He thinks I should hate the Spirit with every fiber of my being. But, I think the Yami Ryou Bakura can change.  
  
Hehe, maybe I am crazy like He always tells me. I don't quite know. I've written before here that I do love Him in a way. I can't understand why. I don't see why I should repeat all those paragraphs again now because I miss him.  
  
Father would be disturbed and wouldn't understand if he ever found this out. He hates my other side and wants me to get Him exorcised. I admit, I do really loathe my Fiend at times. I fear Him and He is very intimidating. I think father fears Him too. I don't remember Dad helping me during my "punishments" since Yami Bakura sent him to the Shadow Realm for a week. I don't think I would have tried to help me either.  
  
It's strange that my Yami has an often-misunderstood way of showing His emotions: violence. I don't really think He loves me as well. It's depressing to think this way, but I really don't have much to go on to wonder otherwise. If Father didn't care about me so much, I think I would have gone and killed myself by now. Just slit my wri-~-~-~~-~-'"  
  
  
  
"How are you, Little Hikari?" came a voice from across the room. Ryou's hand froze in mid sentence. The Spirit sound peeved about something. The boy swallowed and instinctively tensed up.  
  
"Y-yami?" he asked closing his eyes and not turning around. He shut the book and let it fall with a light thud between the bed and the wall.  
  
"No, Ryou, I'm your brother come to wish you salutations after slipping in through the friggen window cause I'm simply terrified of Daddy-Dearest. Really...." Ryou's Dark smirked.  
  
Ryou turned around and sat up on his bed, facing his admiration. His movements made a ripple affect that caused the flashlight to fall and roll away, casting long quivering scepter shadows upon the floor and walls.  
  
The Spirit stood at the foot of his Light's bed, watching him with some alien glint in his eyes. Ryou timidly removed himself from the covers, switching on his bed lamp to retrieve the rollaway flashlight from the corner were it had been halted. His Dark observed the process of crossing the room and lifting the object. The look in his eyes was evil and malicious, yet savoring and desiring, that would disturb anyone willing to look into the twin pools of darkness. He growled softly and smirked.  
  
"Ryou." he breathed heading towards the child now turning the flashlight off. The Hikari didn't hear this, but felt his Dark's approach. He looked up terrified as he was pinned to the wall by two strong arms.  
  
Ryou averted his eyes away from the Fiend before him. Instead, he settled his glaze over the other shoulder and onto the open closet door where the graceful neck of an acoustic guitar shown through the light. The white haired boy decided he would distract his mind from what was to happen to him, instead, focusing on the 6-strings in as perfect tune as they ever could be. He thought of the cords he knew and how each sounded and was fingered. Maybe he'd be able to play the instrument later if his Yami didn't get to it first and snap the strings [Ryou had just gotten new ones put on from before]. Maybe he could work on those ditties he'd made up. Fix the voice parts he'd jotted down to hold better with the A minor that dominated most of the refrain and bridge. Probably drop the pick and finger-style it for the verses. In his head at the moment it sounded good enough. (AN: Sorry, my only love interests are my two guitars so I throw them into fics.)  
  
This happened to be Ryou's plan whenever the Spirit of the Ring felt like hurting him. Locking his thoughts away from the physical till it was over. He'd ponder over his guitar, or all his friends dueling strategies. The boy had even gotten a habit of contemplating his schoolwork. Anything to ignore the reality of whatever the Fiend was doing.  
  
This plan, though usually very affective, could not block what his Dark was getting ready to do. The Fiends cold, pale face was inches from the other's so like his own causing the boy to look into his eyes.  
  
Ryou saw the desire and wrongful intent reflecting it the dark spheres. He didn't want to imagine what the beautiful Demon was about to do...again. In a rush he noticed how close the other's body was to his own and took in a sharp breath. He loved his Yami, but he wasn't in the mood for this, which he knew would be torture. His Dark had stopped truly seeming to love him a long time ago. The Hikari's emotions were just another thing with which to hurt him with.  
  
"Ryou." the Spirit muttered and smirked. Ryou's eyes grew with fear from his slight paranoia as he tried to move the other way. He couldn't though; two iron arms caged him in.  
  
"No, Yami, please," he pleaded looking at his Dark fearfully, "Please not today!"  
  
"That, Hikari, is not for you to decide. You blindly assume I'm giving you a choice in this..." he brought his mouth to Ryou's ear, "...I'm not."  
  
"No, please, not now!" Ryou begged heart fully as the Spirit of the Ring tossed him onto the bed with force.  
  
  
  
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Ryou's father heard his son's pleas and the Spirit of the Rings laughs, not unlike he had many times before. He knew what was happening by the sounds through the wall and it disgusted him. He wished he'd the courage to stop his youngest sons suffering, but knew it wasn't so.  
  
The man poured another shot of amber liquid into the small glass before him. It was downed in two gulps and roughly slammed back on the table.  
  
"Why did I ever give the child that Ring?" he asked himself as he took yet another swing, this time not bothering to fill his shot glass. His face puckered slightly at the burn of the liquid as he wiped his mouth with a sleeve.  
  
Ryou's father slipped into a restless sleep listening to his son's begging and cries. He couldn't do much of anything about it. He never could.  
  
  
  
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A little navy blue notebook, forgotten, now rested open under the bed. The entry chosen randomly by fate to collect dust expressed the boy's recent musings of the separate being:  
  
  
  
"Journal,  
  
'My Dark confuses me. Why does he only love me when it suits him and never when it's okay for the Hikari? He will enjoy me for however long, and then act like nothing happened at all. It hurts. Whenever he feels like intimacy, he expects me to give it too him. If I don't comply, he'll get violent in forcing it from me. Then, after his efforts, he ignores me the next day and goes of to some place gods know where, coming back at strange hours. I wonder where and for what reason. I fear the truth, though.  
  
If the Spirit keeps this up, I think the emotion strain will destroy me. My father and friends don't want to see me broken, so I've a façade of normalness plastered to my face at the moment. I think father suspects I take my treatment worse that I let on. He might snap and go the Egypt or Greece again. Poor Father, I pity him. He must think my current state is his fault.'"  
  
  
  
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AN: Okay, ya'll review please. If I get more than 7 I'll keep adding chapters. So far I've gotten the four after this one written, but they don't go up unless I see some comments. This story will live by your reviews alone. You have POWER!  
  
Flame me if ya want. If burning remarks incinerate me entirely to ash, I promise I will not go any further with this fic, as not to annoy ya'll with something you don't want to read. Kay?  
  
  
  
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	2. Chapter 2: I Can't Forgive You

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own a floor length pleather coat and 63 plastic black bracelets that I never take off.  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
PANDORA: You really think it's good? Well, here's the continuation.  
  
GUESS: Hehe, it's not. original. It's not very nice either, but I like it!  
  
YUKI-CHAN: I was so hyped to see your review. You're like, a phenomenal writer and used to be in my favorites list! I just never login when I review. I assure you, I don't ever have Ryou try to kill himself in any of my fics. And I don't.know.why. I only ever make him WANT to die. Weird.  
  
BLACKFIRE: Same for Yuki-chan except you're still in my favs. I love reading the type of stuff you write [though in my whole time on fanfiction.net I've only submitted like 25 or less signed reviews].  
  
(): I'm curious to see where this is going too. J/k [I'm the friggen author! I can't say that.]  
  
ASIAN ANGEL: Ahhh, the short and simple review. I quote, "Heyz! I like it! Please continue!" -What else really needs to be said? Although I do prefer slightly longer comments, it was encouraging all the same.  
  
NONAME: Um, Ryou wants me to put up the rest? Okay. I had no idea Malik was so. so. "fluffy". Malik IS in this fic though. He gets quite a big part.  
  
YOUKO AKANE: You likes! Me keep writing! Yay! ^_^  
  
CETTIE-GIRL: Wow, I'm happy you think that. I dub ye now Most Faithful Reviewer. This is like the third fic by me and T.E.L.'s penname you've reviewed! [Weird I notice this, eh? I need a hobby.] Since you read Sorry for You Hikari of Yami Bakura, this IS the yaoi idea I got. I wasn't lying; soft/pop rock does this kinda stuff to me. Cheers! [Read next reviewer reply if you want to know about what the heck is going on with our other fic.]  
  
ITSAME: Hehe, about that. IT'S ALL THE EVIL LAUGHS'S FAULT! ^_^U I was left waiting like you. She only had 5 of her 10 projects finished then, but now has the 15th chapter penned down in her notebook. She showed it to me in her chicken scratch writing. It will probably be up around Sunday-Monday next week. That fic isn't very close to finished. The 14 chapter is up now. Go read it great reviewer!  
  
  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 2: I Can Never Forgive You  
  
Ryou strummed his guitar lazily. There wasn't much he could do with it now due to the fact he'd been practicing for five hours, running his fingers near raw over the taunt steel strings. He looked up quickly as the Spirit of the Ring entered for the tenth time, looked around assuring himself of something, and quickly exiting again, not even acknowledging his Hikari. The Fiend had been hovering around the house like so for the past two hours. It had naturally sparked Ryou's curiosity, but he didn't ask.  
  
It had been almost a week since the boy had woken up feeling tired and used beneath the strong form of his Yami. Ryou was finally permitted to leave only to find his father completely wasted on the living room loveseat with a half empty bottle of scotch and another glass container of something he wasn't sure about the name of. Weary from his Dark's excursions, the child was still able to drag his father to the master bedroom to wait out a hangover that was sure to arise. It was obvious the older man had been drinking. How could he have not heard his youngest child's helpless peas for a cease in abuse?  
  
Sighing lightly, Ryou placed the large instrument on his bed and got up to leave the room. It was Saturday and his father was running errands. He'd told Ryou that he wouldn't be back till late the next day, and, if he wanted to, he could stay at Yuugi's anytime. The white haired boy didn't plan on visiting the Pharaoh's Hikari at all. He wanted to stay home for some reason he didn't quite know.  
  
Ryou was genuinely surprised at the state of the house. It was literally spotless. There was only one who could have done it, but why would the Spirit clean?  
  
"Yami," he started entering the living room. He saw the Demon sitting on the couch looking over his father's wine selection, "what have you been doing all day?"  
  
"Cleaning. Isn't it obvious, Mortal?" he growled slightly, looking up at his Hikari, the pale skinned and quiet Ryou Bakura. The submit able child to vent his moods on, with a bonus of keeping his mouth shut and easy to make love to on the eyes for his white beauty. Now, that was a Hikari! The perfect puppet to use.  
  
"Who are you inviting?" the boy asked timidly.  
  
"A 'friend'," replied the Thief trying one of the beverages. His mouth puckered as he muttered something about a bad year. He soon had three bottles before him after tasting them all.  
  
"Hey, Ryou, which one should I take; the Cabernet, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc?" he asked glaring the glass bottles down as Ryou sat down on the recliner.  
  
"I dunno, I don't drink, Yami. They all sound expensive though and I don't think you should be taking any," he answered reaching for the TV remote.  
  
"Then its Cabernet!" exclaimed the Fiend grabbing all the bottles except the red and taking them back to the cellar.  
  
Ryou sat there silently fingering the Millennium Ring. He was annoyed by how casual him and his Dark's relationship had been since Sunday night. It was, as always, although nothing had happened.  
  
Things were always like that with the Yami Bakura; sometimes he was on, sometimes he was off. I would drive a person crazy trying to figure out the mood swings. The Spirit of the Ring was the Spirit of the Ring and that just happened to be his nature; nothing could change it. This was the Fiend Ryou was [or already had] dangerously fallen in love with. It was his Dark that was stronger. He was caring and kind at moments, as also he was, most often, cold violent, and hard to reach. He treated his Hikari on his pleasure and spur of the moment, which would be painful to anything in love with their chastiser.  
  
"Hey, Mortal," said the Spirit coming back from the cellar, "I need you to clear out of this room and yours for the rest of the day."  
  
"Sure." said Ryou, curious but eager to please.  
  
"You also have to take that large freak-hollow wooden club. It might get in the way."  
  
"My guitar? Okay." Ryou corrected getting up to retrieve it. He wondered who was coming over. Nobody ever visited his Dark.  
  
"May I stay in the office?" he asked returning with the instrument in its case.  
  
The Yami thought about this for a few moments.  
  
"Uh, yeah, just don't come out unless we leave the living room," he looked at Ryou threateningly and popped his knuckles, "If you don't or if you so much as breath loud, I'll make you wish you weren't my Hikari."  
  
Ryou felt like saying 'I already do!' but decided against it. He muttered a quick 'Yes, sir' and shut himself into the area branching off of the living room.  
  
"What is he doing?" the boy muttered, sitting down on the chair he'd failed to defy gravity in the night before a week ago. He listened, watching his hazy moonlit shadow, as the doorbell chimed the 1812 Overture. The Fiend stealthily crossed the other room to answer it.  
  
Ryou stiffened when he heard the sound of a familiar voice greeting his Dark. Malik. What the Hell was Yami Bakura doing with HIM?  
  
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Ryou was aware after a few seconds that Malik wasn't coming over for a conversation. There was something going on between the two, which, obvious by the tones of their voices, was not some Item stealing conspiracy.  
  
The boy tried to ignore what was being said, least he might throw up from disgust. He was filled with a very unpleasant shock making him go limp staring at the floor. His numbness was soon replaced with remorse disguised in anger. His hands gripped the armrests, and were trembling with each word he tried to block out. Wasn't the Yami Bakura aware his Hikari could hear every syllable in the passion muttered or slightingly exclaimed aloud?  
  
Ryou felt like destroying something in his wrath. Was this how his Yami felt when he was angry, choosing to spread his rage on the Hikari? If so, what did he do when he felt like crying? The boy had never seen the Spirit's eyes fill with tears as his were, hearing the two outside leaving for the bedroom. Was his Dark void to emotions that wouldn't hurt his Light? It seemed that way.  
  
Ryou opened his door as soon as he heard the other close. With guitar in tow, he headed for the middle of the room where the wine bottle still sat on the coffee table, half empty with quarter full glasses next to it. He was mad to see the two didn't even have to get themselves drunk to make out. He put down his guitar case and glared at the scene, tears in his big brown eyes.  
  
In a furry, he grabbed the glass neck and threw the bottle at the nearby wall. There was an almighty crash to wake the stone dead as it blew up into a million tiny pieces. After this he threw the semi-full glass simultaneously in a row. The hard floor was dangerously covered in more sharp shards then Seto Kiaba had yen.  
  
Ryou knelt down, tears of sorrow and anger flowing down his face, mixing with the strong smelling liquid lapping his hands as it slowly flooded the room. An unbidden moan of rejection escaped his throat. The dark liquid on the floor streamed a deeper crimson as the glass pierced the boy's pale skin, drawing blood.  
  
  
  
Yami Bakura and Malik were soon at the scene, one extremely angry, and the other equally confused.  
  
"Fucking Hell, what's your problem, Hikari?!" the Fiend spat surveying the room.  
  
His Light was on all fours, quivering. The Spirit would have run up and smacked him, had he not been barefoot and susceptible to piercing by the broken glass. Ryou looked up at the Fiend. Both others were alarmed at the angry fire and soul stabbed pain reflecting from the glaze.  
  
"What's YOUR problem?" the boy rasped looking the Fiend in the eye. The Spirit glared right back slightly confused.  
  
"Why can't I understand this?" the boy asked with an undisguised whimper in his low voice.  
  
"I just don't see it, Yami. I mean, I have tried, I AM trying, to love you. But your way of thinking is, is just soo stupid. It makes no sense I can see, unless I'm blind. You know when you first pulled me to you I resisted. That got you mad and _I_ was punished. Then, did you notice I finally let you have me after a while? I was THAT idiotic, because the next day you acted like I didn't exist, pushed me away. So, I just went on, maybe I would have recovered, but for the fact that I was taken _yet_ again."  
  
The Fiend glared at him, unmoving, trying to keep his emotions in check. The boy looked to Malik. The other was watching him like he was crazy, making Ryou frustrated.  
  
"Does he confuse you?" he asked the blonde haired Egyptian, "Will he treat you like you don't exist after you fall hopelessly in love with him? Does he make you love him, force emotions out of you when you resist? Or, are you different. He probably lets you choose when you want to get close. He might always acknowledge it when the both of are alone together randomly. Does He treat you like he does me, or, does he actually LOVE you, not use you like his weak little Hikari?"  
  
Malik blinked at this in surprise,  
  
"Uh, Bakura. explanation please?" he inquired looking at the man next to him.  
  
The Spirit didn't respond, just looked at the wounded Light as if seeing him for the very first time. Malik couldn't read the Fiend's expression very well but could see he was confused.  
  
"Ryou?" the Spirit muttered as if he had just found out the child had a name.  
  
The boy faced the ground again, smirking slightly in a sad maniacal way,  
  
"You said I was weak, you know. I guess you were right. again. I took you for real, like a retarded fool. Now I suppose I pay for that by having to live with your messed up tempers. Don't you see I loved you? You used me though; making me lie to myself that maybe you really did care but just that being in the Shadow Realm had slowed your emotional response. Yeah right! You never loved me; I was an item to mess around with. Something to take out all your passions on; anger, disappointment, love, joy. Why?" he asked looking at the blood and wine stained floor.  
  
Bakura's expression was almost regretful after the small rant. He began to realize he had just destroyed the one person who could have been his last grasp on real content, on real emotion and not the stuff he was able to make up in his head. He had ruined it like everything, everyone, else. The once innocent, pure, uncorrupted child was in ruins, broken down into the most hopeless creature to see the over-bright sun behind Love's imprisoning bars wrought by his uncaring Fiend.  
  
"Ryou, I'm sorry, I didn't know. Aibou," he tried, "I'm so, so sorry for this."  
  
Ryou looked at him coldly. He knew better than to believe this. His next words were said as damnation to Bakura,  
  
"No, Yami, I'm sorry. I was just plain foolish. It's my fault I'm hurt. I should have known that you were incapable of any love."  
  
"But I love you." the Fiend stated pleadingly.  
  
The next words were with no more caring or pain, completely zero of feeling. They were just fact from the boy's pale nerve-bitten lips.  
  
"It's too late, Spirit of the Ring. It is best I just go now before I'm driven insane by all of this."  
  
The child sat back and grabbed his guitar. The Fiend watched silently as the boy got up and headed for the door, holding back the urge the run up and keep him from leaving the house. Ryou turn around shortly, the Spirit hoped the decision had changed, and grasped the Ring around his neck.  
  
"You understand," he said taking it off and tossing it on the floor, "I can never forgive you."  
  
The Spirit didn't know why, but he nodded, speechless. His mind was wondering what the Hell was going on as the boy opened the door to leave.  
  
"Ryou," he called as the boy exited, "Ryou don't go! I don't want you to leave me here!"  
  
The white haired boy ignored him and left. Malik watched the stressed Yami and patted him awkwardly on the back,  
  
"Calm down, man. He's gone."  
  
"I know," the Fiend replied, "I know."  
  
  
  
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AN: I'm shocked. 9 reviews for only the first chapter! 7 in just one day. Not one negative either [I don't think I've ever been flamed on fanfiction.net ever in my life]. It's a booster for my low superego for sure! My ego is also happy since it doesn't get out much, while the id is strongly demanding I leave the computer and eat for once. [If you know what I'm talking about, YAY!]  
  
The chapter after this only goes up if I get 8 more reviews. 9 of you already have so I know there has to be more of you. If you really want to see what happens next ever, I suggest you review. Even if you already did so last chapter.  
  
Also, next chapter may be [I haven't made up my mind] like a songfic and very long. There's a few of those throughout this soap, I mean, this story. I want you all to know what manipulative, emotional songs I usually never listen to inspired this 'work'. Cettie-girl and ITSAME know what music I've been forced to listen to cause it's listed in me and T.E.L.'s other fic [which Cettie-girl always reviews ^_^]. My parents took my hard rock away really, and T.E.L. lent me CD's to practice my guitar with. [I have now learned Peter Gun and have no idea where T.E.L. got that CD.]  
  
  
  
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	3. Chapter 3: Emotional Shifts

g*===*===*===*===*  
  
  
  
Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own my fic ideas and the notebooks and computer files I save them in.  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
ASIAN ANGEL 12: Your first question, I'm not sure if they will get back together. I have up till the end of the eighth chapter down in my notebooks. You find out were Ryou crashes this chapter. Malik will be stating his opinion about the Yami Ryou Bakura to Ryou in the sixth chapter if I don't change my mind. You find out what Yami Ryou Bakura thinks in the next chapter. There, questions answered with no plot revealed. Go me!  
  
C AND L CRYSTAL BLUE FLAME: Yay! Everything was good. It's all good.  
  
JULIE: You like it? All right!  
  
NO NAME: Yes, we have a Ryou cheerleader! I knew he was missing something!  
  
ITSAME: Don't worry, eh, I don't have much of a life outside the shell either. I am always writing fics, lyrics, or poems. Hehe. my friends [wow, I have friends?] always say I'm quiet. But they also say I freak them out so.  
  
_________: You can't believe I did what? Made Ryou run away? I'm guessing whatever I did worked *very* well. Sorry if I took a great idea [just wish I knew which great idea.] Since I don't know what it is, I guess I can top it.  
  
LITA: I will type more just for you, eh? I will write [and type] tonnes more! Whether I publish it is up to reviewers.  
  
GUESS: Don't worry. This chapter has WAY more words than lyrics. I'm really into the whole descriptive paragraph thing. You don't even have to read the song part. It's just to let readers know what sentimental [huh???] songs inspired this fic.  
  
CETTIE-GIRL: I'm finally in your favs! That makes a total of 5 people who like T.E.L. and my writing so much as to do that! ".shattered into millions on pieces, like the wine glasses." Well, your review was well written, too.  
  
NONAME: Wow, my story is like Maxwell House Coffee [which I do not own] "Good to the last drop!" I wonder if there is a sexy heart. Of course, who would be attracted to a large pumping muscle, I mean, they're great to have [Don't know how I live with out one ^_^] but I'm not ready to call one sexy. But then, I guess it's true when people say everything about that blonde hair Egyptian is hot. Were does and Egyptian learn 'bloody hell'? Wash your mouth out Malik!  
  
PANDORA: Dang, I never heard that song. What type of music is that? I listen to classic, pop, alternative, soft, and hard versions of rock. I'm a music freak and now I want to hear that song. Now you're gonna have me looking for that whenever I have free time. Go ahead, do a victory dance [preferably after you finish reading this INCREDIBLY LONG CHAPTER!!!!]  
  
TAMMO: I think it rocks too!  
  
  
  
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THIS CHAPTER IS LONG! This is why it took me soo long to type it all. In Arial on Microsoft Word it's 12 pages and descriptive.  
  
I PROMISE ALL YOU READERS, this is way more words that lyrics. You don't even have to read the song part. If you do, I do not own The Calling, nor do I own the CD I got it from. I just like the acoustics in the intro. I'll be doing this till my parents give me MY music back.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 3: Emotional Shifts  
  
The trick was to go somewhere his Dark would never look unless the universe was blown apart with and only that certain area left. Somewhere a guitar wouldn't look suspicious would also help.  
  
As Ryou walked down the streets, he noticed the city's nightlife had begun to divide and conquer all the clubs, bars, and casinos. He'd passed many groups of people varying in appearance, but all having the same basic motive. Though there were the sleazy, the gothic, and the real classy type you never thought would leave their big houses, all headed for mostly the same locations for a good time. The boy tried to avoid them, staying close to buildings, and creeping past. This was justified by the fact that some of the parties were stoned for life and as drunk as dogs, not being predictable and outside the confines of daily reason.  
  
Ryou soon reached the game shop a certain Yuugi Motou lived above. He stood next to it, trying to think. The idea of him going to any of his friends was way too obvious, but right now he needed a backrest. The time through the shop window was only ten. Like on of the partygoers would say, "The night was still young". Ryou leaned his head against the wall and slid down till he was sitting on the rough concrete, his hand still holding the guitar.  
  
Ryou wondered where a Yami would not look for a Hikari. Another group passed by as he got an idea. He could stay at some dance club. His Dark would never check there. Next day he would go to a friends' the Fiend had already gone so many times as to give up on it.  
  
The boy got up and followed a random group around. All of the occupants were too caught up in their own conversations and the like to notice the pale-faced shadow they had picked up passing the corner. They walked several blocks and Ryou was soon lost. Finally, the party reached some desired dance hall and entered, the child going in as well. Having an air of someone considerably above his real age made the boy almost look older, causing very few suspicious glances. Still, he stayed close to the wall with his instrument in an iron grasp, maneuvering past the cluttered tables and chairs with surprising ease. Wearily, he entered a side alcove that smelled faintly of smoke. The aroma didn't bother him, as he put his guitar case down protectively at his feet.  
  
Some guy was soon in with a tray,  
  
"You want anythin', man?" he asked.  
  
"Not unless you have bottled water with the seal still intact." Ryou sighed, annoyed at how servers just tended to pop up out of nowhere.  
  
"Well, not on me," the man informed him, "but I'll go get some."  
  
"No-- " Ryou started as the guy left, not waiting for a reply, "- thank.you..."  
  
Ryou shrugged. Wasn't his fault the server didn't heard him. Slowly he closed his eyes and leaned back, listening to the rhythmic dance music. He didn't have a real plan for what to do when the club closed. Right now he was just confused. He sighed and put his head in his hand wearily. The corners above his eyes throbbed dully with a sentencing pang at each beat of the music's quick tempo. In his mind's eye he could see the Spirit of the Ring. He could imagine only the look of confusion that his outburst had caused. His Dark had not been distraught at his Hikari's words, only pondering at what the Hell was up with the boy. He probably only thought Ryou was crazy or having some emotionally overcome fit, like a little child who wanted to know why he couldn't go with an older sibling to a violent movie at the local cinema. This thought only made the boy's stress headache worse, as he massaged his temples with the hand he'd rest his heavy, tired head on. He was stirred out of his musings by a tap on the shoulder.  
  
Ryou opened his eyes, expecting to see the damnable server. He was surprised to see he was looking at two girls. They giggled good-naturally at his alarm.  
  
"Um, good--good evening," he stuttered, sitting up straight.  
  
"Hey, boy," said one, a blonde with too much purple eye shadow, "We haven't seen you around here before. What's your name, cutie?"  
  
"Ryou, my name is, Ryou," he replied nervously. This really wasn't his time to be talking to people.  
  
"Ryou? Oooo, tight name," the other crooned, such a fiery redhead that Ryou could see it was fake.  
  
"Well," continued the blonde, "My name is Selina, and this here next to me is Adrienne. Our friends are all dancing right now. We both saw ya comin' in and decided to say hi."  
  
"I'm, uh, pleased to make your acquaintance," he lied, not sure what to make of the pair.  
  
This caused Adrienne make a sound that sounded like a squeal, "Wow, you're soo charming!"  
  
Ryou blushed at this. He was just being polite. He fidgeted with the handle of his guitar case nervously.  
  
"Oh, my, God! Do you, like, play?" Selina asked.  
  
"Uh, a bit," he muttered humbly and shrugged, "Good enough for a bit more than a year, I suppose."  
  
"Man, it would be soo cool if you could, like, sing. Can you sing?" Adrienne asked.  
  
"Sure," he shrugged, "I can hold a note, but I'm not great like others you hear."  
  
"How would we know till we like, heard fo' ourselves?" Adrienne asked, to Ryou's annoyance. "Sing something!" she commanded laughingly.  
  
Ryou blushed yet again. Why would he sing there? He decided the ground was very interesting suddenly, and tried to tell them there was to much noise. All that came out was some random mumbling. He slammed himself mentally, thinking his Dark would never stand him acting so weak and scared in front of the opposite sex. His Yami was very bias on the idea that men were better than women and had always told Ryou he was too feminine for a male.  
  
"Awe, he's bashful!" Selina piped to her partner in crime, "How sweet."  
  
This didn't help Ryou's mood at all. His face was redder in seconds. Why were the girls acting so airy? Their behavior confused him as his headache came around again. [AN: Ya'll, he's a guy who isn't interested in girls, uncalled for by me to make him talk with some, yes, how is he to know they like him? He just ran out on his Yami!]  
  
"Hey, Cutie," Selina said leaning over the table. Ryou was slightly aware this was to be his name to the two girls and any friends the introduced him to. "Wanna dance? My most favorite song is like, playing."  
  
Ryou pushed himself back slightly, "I don't think."  
  
"Awe, come on, it will be fun!" Adrienne squeaked eccentrically, clapping her hands with excitement.  
  
"I don't doubt it would be, uh, enjoyable." they squealed at his word phrasing, ".under normal circumstances, but not right now." He replied while thinking back to his Yami.  
  
Ryou was shocked at how fast the faces were changed from energetic joy, to genuine understanding and concern.  
  
"Don't say anymore," commanded Selina holding her hand up. Ryou felt slightly offended at the gesture but didn't respond. This wasn't any better that when the two were bouncing off the wall.  
  
"We see," Selina continued, "You were, like, hurt emotionally and want to sort yourself out here. That person must only have half a soul to not think you're such a good catch."  
  
Ryou winched at this and looked down sadly. The Yami was half of his soul, though he couldn't say the same for the Spirit.  
  
"Don't worry," Adrienne added, "We think you're a really sweet guy, Ryou. That person doesn't know what the Hell they are losing."  
  
Ryou sighed. His Dark hadn't completely lost his Hikari yet. Ryou knew he still loved his other side.  
  
"You really deserve much better than them, if they, like, don't care how you feel. There are lots of people out there who would give ANYTHING to have a guy like you, nice, polite, modest, and a guitar player, which is like, a bonus." Selina added.  
  
Ryou just nodded glumly. This really wasn't helping.  
  
"Thanks," he lied with a false tone of one who's been encouraged. He convincingly acted like he'd had a sudden revelation in his next words, "I'm gonna try not to think about it now. I'll just worry about were I'm going to stay tonight and if I have any cash."  
  
"Okay, Ryou!" Selina rejoiced, "Well, now I'm gonna go out and get my night's worth of dancing done. Come on, Adri," she turned to her friend, "Brad and Gabe are sitting at the corner over there."  
  
Ryou sighed with relief as the two FINALLY left. Before he could relax though, the waiter was back with water.  
  
"Dude," he said, "Who are ya lucky, talkin to dem broads?"  
  
Ryou blinked trying to decipher what the guy had just said. Was that a threat or a compliment?  
  
"Dey were so over ya. Why did cha let em' go like dat?" he asked.  
  
Ryou opened the bottle and sniffed its contents, making a disgusted face.  
  
"Dey are tens, man. Babes!" the guy exclaimed.  
  
"Uh, what?" Ryou looked at the two girls on the dance floor and shrugged, "Um, yeah, sorta, I guess..."  
  
Ryou didn't have a big opinion on the opposite sex He supposed the two could be considered attractive, but he'd never looked at them that way during the conversation.  
  
"Dude, it's easy ta see, ya can't jus' guess they're hot. Ya know dey are, unless you're, like, gay or somethin'." he laughed.  
  
Ryou smirked. "I think you very handsome as well," he lied.  
  
"Oh, my God, man, you're, like, a queer?" the guy asked surprised.  
  
Ryou just smiled at him like he was a complete idiot of a waiter.  
  
"So ya like, you know, with. like, othuh guys?" he said.  
  
Ryou had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.  
  
"Awe, god!" the guy exclaimed. "Don't look at me, Fag." He said.  
  
The guy hurried out to Ryou's relief and great amusement. The boy threw his bottled water after him. Moron. Finally, he was alone to think.  
  
  
  
All Ryou could focus on was his Yami. What was the Spirit doing? Was he looking for his Hikari, or was he indulging himself with Malik?  
  
A surge of anger surged through the boy as his thoughts hit the blonde haired Egyptian. Malik had been his _friend_, but he'd ripped up Ryou's heart and shot him through the head coming to the house to 'spend the night' with the Spirit of the Ring. Ryou knew Malik no longer had a Dark of his own, but still. What the other boy did was painful and very uncalled for.  
  
Ryou's turning emotions took over. His wrath was soon overcome by a wave of deep sorrow and remorse. The boy felt his stomach do a dive into inexistence, and had the slight urge to throw up. Why did his Dark had to use him like a puppet? Was the child's mortal heart, not immortal like the soul, just some toy he could play with and put away to the Fiend? If so, the pleasure item was broken every time the greedy hands touched it; broken until it was far beyond repair. Ryou knew he would never be the same after his Yami's treatment. Even if he never saw the Fiend again, memories would always be there, haunting his existence.  
  
The pain Ryou'd carry in his heart leaving, wouldn't drown how much he'd loved his Dark. He always had since some time he couldn't recall, and had enjoyed the moments when it seemed the Spirit cared even a slight bit. Those times when both wanted the others company for more than conversation or, in one's case, anger management. Ryou knew he'd begun to live for those moments, which suddenly became few and far between.  
  
But like everything else with the Fiend, those times lost pleasantness. They became yet another form of brutal torture. Ryou had slowly started noticing everything he'd lost to the Spirit of the Ring: his will, his freedom, his innocence, his soul. All he'd earned was the compassion of others and a silence as the jaded observer of lives around him; better lives, with reasons to exist. His own life was only to aid a daemonic Tomb Robber in his egocentric quest for world domination. That wasn't much to live for since nobody wanted to be ruled by his Dark. It was, in ways, a lost cause.  
  
The discovery of a new love interest had caused the boy to panic. He'd retaliated the only way he'd known; run and hide. Ryou had tried to avoid what was causing the hurt entirely since he couldn't block it out. Ergo, he ran out on the Tomb Robber to some random nightclub.  
  
Ryou didn't get it, he'd given his Dark so much; another soul to live off of, an existence outside the Shadow Realm, a modern place he could stay at while plotting the position of all seven Millennium Items. He'd even given him his own frail body for the torture of the Fiend's emotions. Angry, he had hurt Ryou; sad, he'd try to get some kind of comfort; playful, bored, or feeling compassionate, all these moods had influence his treatment of the boy, till he used all it up on the Light. Thus, ensuring he could face the world without them seeing he was as human as the child that was his host. No, he was the impenetrable Yami Ryou Bakura, above the realm of everything human!  
  
Ryou's emotions did another shift in gear, accelerating over his depression and longing with burning enmity. He tried to convince himself he loathed his Dark and would never forgive him. He beat an angry tattoo against the leather-enforced cardboard of his guitar case. The instrument inside hummed lightly at the vibrations. No, he wasn't sad, he hated the Fiend; hated him with all that was left of his heart and soul. He repeated this to himself over and over.  
  
  
  
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AUTORESS NOTE: Okay, this is the proof of what I've been listening to. You could skip this and not be in the dark at all on this story. Just jump to the other design thing separating sections. I know some people hate song fics, so I don't use them often. I couldn't decide what to do with these paragraphs that I'd typed; to put it in or leave it out, so I reached this happy medium. Okay? Happy! ^_^  
  
  
  
If he had been contemplating all this in his room, Ryou would have taken the old acoustic 6-string from it's battered case and played it like he pleased. But he wasn't and knew it would make a scene if he took it out now. Ryou had made and memorized many of his own harmonizing tunes before. He always told himself he would add words to them later on, but usually never found time. Vice versa, he had many lyrics written and under construction that he hadn't really put much of a tempo onto past the rhythmic flow.  
  
Joyful to be thinking of something else other than the Spirit, Ryou started to put some words to the little ditties. Since he wouldn't play guitar at the moment, he'd just have to make words instead on notes. [AN: Words are on letter-like-get-in-trouble-for-passing-them-in-class-notes, Ryou!]  
  
Suddenly, a flow hit him. Ryou kicked himself when realized it was about the Fiend, but it was still a rather good inspiration. Taking a pen from his pocket and a napkin from across the table, he began to write. He stressed the words with his anger and recent thought flow. How he'd understood his Dark's meaningless comforting and how the Spirit had used him. He took the pen and began forming the words on paper, keeping the time subconsciously with his foot.  
  
  
  
*I've been thinking about you, my love,  
  
And all the crazy things that you put me through.  
  
Now I'm comin around, and throwin it back to you.  
  
Where you thinking of me, when you kissed him?  
  
Could you taste me when you licked his skin?  
  
And all the while I showered you with trust and promises.  
  
  
  
What I'm needin now's some sweet revenge,  
  
To get back all that I lost then,  
  
I gave you all I had to give, but I could never reach you. *  
  
  
  
Ryou paused. Now here was a flaw; Spirit of the Ring didn't fit his tempo, nor did it make sense. It sound lame to carry Yami, Dark, or Spirit for so long a measure. It came down to whether or not he wanted other people to see his writing. It would have to make sense if so.  
  
Well, since you could never be too careful, he decided it had to have a reasonable word that fit. He needed a name, preferably female. Anuz, no; Mai, no; and those were the two girls he knew. Sad really, he didn't know many others, and barely knew the two he'd thought of. His eyes drifted lazily to the dance floor. Selina almost fit, except for the dull sounding -ah at the end. He chose another one randomly.  
  
  
  
*Adrienne, I thought I knew you.  
  
Once again, you used me, used me.  
  
Adrienne, I should have left you.  
  
Long before, you used me, used me up. *  
  
  
  
Adrienne was long name, but good for the speed and flow. She was also, truthfully, the most annoying person Ryou had ever meant, making him able to stress his resentment of her through the song. He decided it was good enough, and kept going.  
  
*Spent my money, drove my car,  
  
I treated you like a shinin star,  
  
But all burnt up, in my sky, you are.  
  
But I'll have the last, laugh, when I see you walkin that other guy.  
  
Cause I know you're gonna end up all alone.  
  
  
  
So take these words, some good advice,  
  
All you done's gonna come back twice.  
  
You never cared how much it hurt; I really need to tell you. *  
  
  
  
Ryou was soon stressing words with underlines, stars, and letter sizes that made no sense to anybody but him, as he started to wrap it up. He put down the chorus two more times with the ending of the first verse between.  
  
"There," he sighed, marking the date and location. He turned the napkin over and scribbled down some letters of the cords down. Therefore, when he found it later, it would be easy to get to get the tempo and range he'd written to back.  
  
  
  
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Ryou tried to think of other things for the next 20 minutes. All that entered his mind other than his Yami was sleep. Slowly the boy drifted in and out of reality as he heard the clubs music get slower and slower. He opened his eyes when some one leaned heavily on the table. Selina had returned. Ryou held back a mournful sigh.  
  
"Wow, Cutie, you're still here? I'd thought someone like you wouldn't stay at a club till closing time."  
  
Ryou resisted the urge to bolt. He shrugged casually, "It's not like I have anywhere else to go, really."  
  
She nodded. It was almost funny to the boy how serious the expression was on her make-up caked face and ditzy blonde style.  
  
"I see," she said, "That half-brain who dumped you is, like, were you live."  
  
He covered his grimace with a deep nod of agreement.  
  
"Well, listen to this," she said, looking at the group she'd been hanging out with, "I'm gonna like, get you some place to stay for a while. You're a sweet guy, Ryou, and I can't have you and your manners wasting away, like, in a street or something."  
  
Ryou seriously wished he hadn't been so nice. "Will it bother them?" he asked politely. (Always so polite!)  
  
"Not a bit, I'm sure. These guys are great," she motioned to the males she'd been hanging out with. "They'd do anything for me or a good cause. You're a situation of both."  
  
"If you say they're fine with this," he muttered skeptically as he picked up his guitar case. Selina literally dragged him over to her friends as his feet rendered themselves useless to movement.  
  
"Hey, ya'll." She called as they reached them. Ryou saw Adrienne there and his feet were suddenly itching to sprint away.  
  
"This is Ryou and." Selina tried to tell them.  
  
"Awe, how cute!" one of the girls squealed. Ryou felt ready to vomit as the guys in the group smirked.  
  
"Now, Ryou here has been hurt tonight and has nowhere to stay." Selina informed them.  
  
Ryou was amazed at the unison awe's from the girls. He felt queasy at their giddiness. And he thought on would get tired dancing all night. Go figure.  
  
"Now I was wonderin' if one of you-" Selina started. All the girls were ranting individual me-me chants, "-preferably a guy. " the voices change to a chorus of pouts, "-to look after him till he sorts out."  
  
It was instantly silent. Ryou felt the eyes of all the guys present turn to him. He looked down at the guitar case quietly, fiddling with the plastic handle. Finally a big voice spoke up.  
  
"Sure, I'll watch the kid," it said, smirking slightly. Ryou looked up to see a guy twice his size and all muscle. The boy unwilling gulped at the massive person turning to him, hand outstretched, "My name is Gabe," he said in the loud booming voice.  
  
Ryou nodded and removed one hand from the case. Gabe's big hairy, tanned arms considerably dwarfed the other boy's, which looked like thin white bone reaching for the handshake. Gabe made sure he didn't squeeze to hard in case he might break something of the frail child's. Ryou was shocked at how the mans fist enveloped his own entirely like a rough callused wall. The guy had to work out or something. Ryou's fingers were only strong with guitar playing, and only hard and peeling where they had pressed on the steel strings.  
  
"Oh, thank you!" exclaimed Selina giving the guy a hug. "I don't think Ryou will even give you much to realize he's around."  
  
"Yeah, he looks quiet." Gabe remarked, observing the boy. "So how do you make yourself heard when you feel like it, kid?"  
  
Ryou lifted up his guitar case slightly and dropped it to his side again for an answer.  
  
"You play?" Gabe asked.  
  
Ryou shrugged. He decided he was not talking to the giant.  
  
"Oh; sing?" the guy inquired.  
  
Ryou hesitated before nodding lightly.  
  
The man mouthed a 'wow' of amazement. Ryou focused on the group's shoes, feigning embarrassment.  
  
"Awe, Ryou, Your soo modest!" Adrienne yelled eccentrically. "Liven up some and relax! Gabe doesn't bite, you know."  
  
Ryou resisted the sudden urge to knock her out with his guitar and put the sudden burst of energy into walking as the group left the club. He followed closely behind Selina, Adrienne, and Gabe. The boy was soon lost again. He had no idea where they were going or what time it was. Ryou looked for anyone who had a watch. Selina did.  
  
"Selina?" he asked. She didn't hear him, being in a very important discussion about shoes. He decided a tap on the shoulder would get a result. He tapped. Nothing. He tapped again. Ditto. Ryou had to repeat this seven times before she turned around.  
  
"Please, what time is it?" he asked. The girls 'awe'd at his light, soft voice they hadn't heard yet. Ryou swore he'd kill them all if they crooned at everything he did one more time. It was getting down right annoying.  
  
"Oh, 3:30 in the morning. Sorry, Ryou, you must be tired!" she said noticing his staggering walk. She was very right, actually. Ryou nodded heavy-eyed.  
  
"Come on, it's really about time we call in a night ya'll," she announced to the others. They all nodded in agreement.  
  
Ryou inwardly sighed with relief as the group dispersed. Selina and Adrienne left as well, leaving Ryou with Gabe. He looked up, irrationally paranoid, at the huge man.  
  
"Come on, kid, home is a few minutes away." The guy nodded down the street Ryou actually recognized as the one Jounouchi and Honda lived on.  
  
The boy nodded silently and followed like a shadow. They soon reached a tall building with stairs leading up to an old wooden door. He followed Gabe inside, barely noticing the door wasn't locked and therefore a danger if some one wanted to break in.  
  
For what Ryou saw of the house in his weariness, the place was actually quite clean for such a big guy. Gabe informed him he was used to having lots of guests over and told him where his room was. Ryou thanked the guy and was soon upstairs and asleep in the guess bed with his guitar on the ground. It had been a very long night.  
  
  
  
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AN: Ever notice how close the 't' and 'y' keys are? I do cause I keep pressing the wrong one while typing this. Nowhere else did I do that, though. I was typing, ".you're a sweet bot, Ryou." and ".the gut said." I thought it was funny, really. Yes, I know this is random, but the simple mind is easily amused, eh?  
  
Oh and daemonic, demonic, WHATEVER. [T.E.L. got confused there.]  
  
Adrienne and Selina are entirely gone by the seventh chapter. They are only minor background people in all the others till then. Some chapters [like the next if I get 7 more reviews] are on Yami Ryou Bakura. Malik will return as well!  
  
Ya'll R+R. If I get 7 more, I will continue. I am so gonna be flame for the first time with this chapter. 


	4. Chapter 4: You're Now Officially Dumped

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own 5 pairs of black jeans and 2 black blouses so suing me wouldn't get you much.  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
KAY: Don't worry; Gabe isn't even that much of a character.  
  
NO NAME: Well, obviously! How else could he run out on his Dark? Gabe is background.  
  
NONAME: Malik wanted a rabbit and you gave him a bunny? [Yes, I know that's redundant]. Well, Malik may want to wake up in two chapters or he'll miss his part.  
  
CETTIE-GIRL: There's a first time for everything! [gags at cliché] Lots of folks like Ryou, eh? Ya know, I like the 'bot' thing too? I thought it was awesome! [obviously, I wrote it] You were right; I still remain unflamed! Yes!  
  
AESA BAST: I thought people weren't going to respond well to the gurls and the song part. Some people get really annoyed at that, even thought it's quite true. I haven't really decided on Selina and Adrienne. They might pop up again sometime; I don't know exactly how this fic ends yet. I will in a few days when I find my notebooks again.  
  
VAMPIRE HUNTRESS D: You really thought it was cute. I said charming, but, of course, I'm a nerd, so.  
  
CRYSTALDRAYGON98: The ditzy blondes are there because I wanted them there. Hehe.here is the continuation  
  
FATE: Okay, don't blow up or anything. *timidly hands over 4th chapter* There, read and review.  
  
ASIAN ANGEL 12: You know, it took me the best of 7 minutes to figure out what you had typed? If Ryou does start liking someone else, sorta cause he's lying to himself, for the sake and livelihood of yaoi, it will be a guy.  
  
SARINA FANNEL: Wow, I didn't know I had that power. I can just suck people in, eh? Well, Gabe is background really. Since I don't know what onegai means, uh, yeah, what does that mean? [You see I get you to answer that, I get one more review, hehe.^_^]  
  
YUKI-CHAN: Your stories do not suck! Don't degrade yourself like that. I didn't thank ya last chapter, sorry. My fics are ALWAYS interesting! ^_^  
  
  
  
This chapter is after Ryou ran out. A little backwards-in time.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 3: You're Now Officially Dumped  
  
Bakura had stared at the door a good twenty minutes after his Light ran out. To say the least, he was immensely confused and frustrated. He wondered why he'd called his Hikari as he left. It must have been some after shock or spur-of-the-moment defying. Ryou wanted to leave so he probably had acted subconsciously the opposite. It was his daemonic nature to be so difficult and contradicting.  
  
"Malik," said the Fiend blinking the now unemotional tears from his vision, "What just happened? I'm lost."  
  
The blonde haired Egyptian slapped his forehead and sighed, "Bakura, your Hikari just ran out on you! I'm very disappointed as well. You never told me there was something going on between you and Ryou. I'm feeling a little uninformed here."  
  
"I wasn't aware he took our 'relationship' so seriously, to tell you the truth," the Spirit informed him.  
  
"You never tell the truth," Malik corrected.  
  
"Shut up! There wasn't much going on between the boy and me anyway," he spat.  
  
"You. Are. Such. A. Moron." Malik stated, "Wake up, Ryou is obviously infatuated with your mere presence."  
  
"I was not aware of that," the Fiend remarked.  
  
"Well, aren't you blind? That 2,000 whatever years in the Millennium Ring must have not fried your brains, like you've lead us to believe, but incinerated them beyond recognition," Malik replied.  
  
"So, what? It's my Hikari, my problem, not yours Mr. Involved-With-Other- People's-Lives." The Spirit snapped at the boy after mentally telling himself that the opposite of love was hate. His Light was in love, so he'd be, uh, in hate. Yes. Immersed.  
  
"Sorry, you don't need to be so moody." Malik said in a fake injured tone.  
  
"How long have we actually been going out?" the Spirit asked randomly.  
  
"Huh? Two weeks, why?"  
  
"That's two weeks to long, you're now officially dumped," the Fiend informed him coldly, still watching the door.  
  
"Ouch, that was just cold, Bakura. Thanks anyway," he muttered sarcastically. Malik could have cared less now. He didn't want to be with the confusing Yami any longer.  
  
"When do you think Ryou will come back?" the Spirit asked. Malik was surprised at the slight worry and insecurity in the voice. Ryou obviously meant something to his Yami.  
  
"Oh, I dunno, 31st of February?" he shrugged.  
  
The Fiend glared at him. "That isn't funny," He stated  
  
  
  
Though his converse sounded idiotic and pointless, the Yami Ryou Bakura was not stupid or ignorant to what his Hikari had said. He didn't give a damn about Malik anymore. His thoughts were on the pale skinned boy, almost identical to himself.  
  
What was Ryou's problem? He couldn't just walk out on his superior Dark like that, could he? It wasn't, or shouldn't, be considered right.  
  
He was very troubled. Did his Light _love_ him? This idea had never occurred to the Spirit. Love was an immeasurable weakness he'd tried to ignore. Not in many millennia had the Spirit of the Ring been as caring as he had in his pathetic youth. Ryou wasn't old yet; he'd get over his Dark.  
  
Part of the Fiend wished he wouldn't. The same part that reached out for the child always, even when with Malik. The section the Spirit tried hard to never shown because of its instability, so like what mortality sufferers experienced. He'd never show his human side to the world. The emotional part of passion, joy, anger, and depression that he acted like never existed in him around the Mortals. He'd vent it out on the small boy. Exhaust the feeling on the child till he could face the world sans heart. Sans humanity.  
  
The Spirit had developed a 'system' of emotional management way back when Ryou had first put on the Item. The child had become very afraid of his Dark since then, which had been thrilling. Hurting the Light became a demented form of 'fun'.  
  
But as Bakura became re accustomed with the world outside the Shadow Realm, he realized that mortal passions would also try to take him over. Sticking to the system, he had turned to Ryou to lay these lusts upon  
  
It had been amusing at first. Ryou was paranoid and fearful of his Fiend. This made the child freeze up whenever the Spirit of the Ring came near (Now the being questioned if it was really entirely from fear that the boy tensed). The Daemon had decided to toy with the boy's mind when he discovered how uncomfortable the boy was with emotional gestures, advances, and touches. It was sickly entertaining.  
  
But, Ryou had gotten use to his Dark's acts, upsetting the Fiend. The Spirit retaliated by crossing the line in a bound and taking the child to bed for the night. He remembered, Ryou had woken up flustered and scared that a sudden mood swing might take his Dark over. He was quite lucky a violent one didn't then.  
  
Bakura, having sufficiently gotten rid of his passion, continued on normally till some other emotion came along. Only now did he realize how much this annoyed and distressed his Hikari. Instead of confronting his Light on what was wrong like he could have (why should he care?), he did the opposite yet again.  
  
Bakura plagued himself with one question most of all, did he, or did he not, care about Ryou? He didn't, wouldn't, care about anyone, not even Malik. He'd only used the Ishtar out of boredom of the cliché Hikari. He knew all his reasons were extremely selfish.  
  
Questions flashed through his mind's eye at slow speeds. Where was Ryou? Was he okay, or was he wandering the streets alone and afraid with no one there for him to stay with? Did the Fiend not only care about, but was concerned for his Light?  
  
The Spirit stared at the Millennium Ring barely noticing Malik had left.  
  
Did he even, well, love the boy; the boy who suddenly had a name, Ryou Bakura?  
  
  
  
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AN: Okay, I know this is short, but I was working on my other fic with The Evil Laugh, "Sorry for You, Hikari of Yami Bakura'. Next chapter will be longer.  
  
Thank you reviewers! This fic is doing better than lots of my others.  
  
Next chapter is on Ryou. It goes up if I get 8 more reviews. R+R! 


	5. Chapter 5: Social Interaction

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own 5 pairs of black jeans and 2 black blouses so suing me wouldn't get you much.  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FOUR:  
  
GUESS: Okay, but this is good job I'm working on. You can't rush these things! [Especially when the f***ing computer can't compute worth sh*t! (nice mouth, eh?)]  
  
YAMI TSUKI TENSHI: Whoa, a little too much information there. That just gets into you head and ya picture the reviewer running to get the..yeah.. heheheheheheheh, Malik ain't gone forever! BAKURA'S GONNA PARTY, WHOOHOO! Um, yeah, ignore that, I used to write humor.. [I guess you cant tell cause that outburst was soo incredibly LAME]  
  
NO NAME: It's dumb blonde, I assure you. It sorta less subtle in future chapters. I mean, really, dark skinned Egyptian with BLONDE hair? That has got to mess a person up. So does being so amazingly GORGIOUS at the same time as being a freak.  
  
CROSSOVER AUTHORESS: Well, next time you write one of the Yamis or anyone else, do this *pulls out notebook to take notes on herself* picture the character reading what they are thinking. If it's hard, it OCC. This works wonders on dialogue too. Some characters were simple not meant to up such words as in despicable [Joey], while others sound great [Daffy Duck].  
  
SHIRIO YUKI: Yes, I go through not just the titles in the Yu-Gi-Oh section of FF.net, but throughout the entire site in Find to make sure NOBODY has the same title. Sorry this wasn't soon. My computer sucks arse [though I have yet to find it's mouth and it sure as Hell ain't MY arse]  
  
SOULWINDOW: Well, I love my guitars! I had to put them in a fic. This one's sequel [Yes, I'm planning on a sequel] with have Eppie, my Epiphone electric. [This means Ryou will advance (or disadvance my music teacher tells me, so I hate that man) to the electric guitar!] This fic has Hippie [Hypocrite] my wanna be Gibson, though cheaper that that actual brand.  
  
KAY: Oh don't worry; this fic FINALLY, has an entire plot [had to do something while the computer was busted]. Gabe will not be mean, but there's this guy name Tony who really kicks Ryou's ass. More on him much latter. Don't worry about Yami B., he'll not go soft. Fact; he beats up Ryou's dad [sorta] and kills the poor guitar. I don't think this will end in happily ever after. I'm already planning the sequel where this fic will cut off. It is not happily ever after either. I guess I'm not into that. I'm not big on making Yami Bakura go soft cause I feel it degrades his evilness. He always has to be evil for me.  
  
CETTIE-GIRL: It may not end black and white. I'm already planning the sequel, but when that comes out, God knows. This may end gray and white. I'm trying to see how to make it less confusing and lame [the ending don't worry cause it's like ten chapters away]. Who knows, I may change my mind [which I tend to do] and fuck the sequel, killing a character instead.  
  
KAORI: Don't worry, that was a phase. He's just actin stupid at the moment [says the authoress sans a heart]. I am great, aren't I? [hence my name's Ego to many]  
  
ALILKARA: Continued. I don't know if you saw The Tow Towers, but that, I quote: 'Pleeeeease' made the word 'Gollum' cross my mind.  
  
NONAME: Wow, Ryou is soo casual. So, what did that review in my story, the fact that I like good drinks to implode? Once you start, you can't quit. Just say NO to breaking glass objects!  
  
KATANA: Sorry, I completely BLEW OFF that write more soon bit. My computer has yet to learn anything. I'm getting a new one, with a better Internet version.  
  
NO NAME: Okay, I can't stand the look of '*hopeful*' written across a small blue review screen. Here, before I start bawling, the next chapter. [j/k] I'm glad you like the others, all are mine but 'Sorry for You..ect..' which me and the actual The Evil Laugh  
  
  
  
CHAPTER FIVE:  
  
SHIROI YUKI: Good luck? Damn, I knew I forgot to eat those black-eyed peas and other crap. No wonder I need cash now! Know what, I NEVER found the files. I retyped this chapter and am working on the next. This computer break has really given me time to make a real hard plot for this fic. It is now completely different from the idea in my mind publishing the first chapter. Heck, I'm even plotting out a songfic sequel with an electric guitar, cars, and snow!  
  
CETTIE-GIRL: All the luck in the world couldn't save those chapters. I'm retyping them. Bright side: I now have a real plot! I'm even planning a songfic sequel. Whoo-hoo, I'm on a roll!  
  
NONAME: I'm in the process of retyping my other chapters after this. I made a plot though. Oh, and, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha  
  
KAY: I hate my stipic computer too! GABE IS NOT MEAN! Hehehehehehehehehehehe *coughTonycough*  
  
  
  
This chapter is after Ryou ran out. A little backwards-in time.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 5:  
  
Ryou came about hour later. His back hurt as he felt the lumpy thing that dared to give the illusion of a bed. A bright light shone rather rudely on his face as he tried to get away from it. He didn't understand, his bed never faced a stupid window. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open as he tried to remember where he was. He was looking out a single tall several paned window. The surfaces holding it around were not the off white tint of the solid wall and ceiling he woke up to everyday since he'd moved to Domino. These panels had been painted a robin's egg blue shade. Looking beyond the glass, he saw the plastered wall and covered window of another residence. The buildings were so close. This was not his part of town.  
  
Slowly, Ryou remembered what had happened the night before. He'd runaway, actually left the horrible life he'd led since receiving the Millennium Ring. He was out of that now. He'd be safe from the Fiend he both deeply loved and immensely hated. Why wasn't he happy? He knew now where he was, some guy named Gabe's place. Ra, he hoped Adrienne didn't plan on coming over. He could only take Selina so much longer, but Adrienne was classified near suffering. The two in a duo was simply burning in Hell. He seriously didn't like them. He could only really stand Selina.  
  
Ryou got up, now that he was entirely awake. The clock on the windowsill glowed in green that it was some minutes in the hour of ten. He'd gotten there at three, but didn't feel like doing the simple math to discover how long he'd been out. Groggy, he sat up, disgusted to see he still had on his old clothes, but not able to do much of anything about it. As he stood and took a step forward, he found he was falling. He hit the thin-carpeted floor with a disturbing thud. He heard his guitar hum lightly at the vibration, staring annoyed at the culprit, the instruments old, dark case. He mental swore at his stupidity, he should have looked where he was going.  
  
"Are you okay?" asked Gabe, the ever-alert host, entering.  
  
"Fine," Ryou muttered, getting up and brushing off some nonexistent dirt; the house was almost too clean.  
  
"Oh, well, lunch is in the kitchen. Always is, just open the frig." Gabe informed him cheerfully.  
  
Ryou nodded. Some one sure woke up on the right side of the bed this morning.  
  
"Ya know, you slept right through breakfast? You don't usually stay up, do you?"  
  
Ryou made some random gesture in agreement. He always slept in after a long night. His father was more than willing to let him even go and skip school after the reason for this usually turned out to be the Spirit of the Ring. The boy had formed a sort of habit out of it. Of course, he only ever missed classes if his father was staying home. Ryou didn't want to even imagine what his Yami would do if stuck with his Hikari alone all day. Then, the child made an effort to get to the school, no matter how horrible, tired, and/or disgusted he'd felt.  
  
  
  
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There was one word Gabe had for his newest acquaintance, tired. Even thought the younger boy was physically awake, his mind was seemingly still unconscious. It was more than obvious that the little guy had taken some hard, cruel blow emotionally. It wasn't just from physical exhaustion (indeed, Ryou didn't do much) that the boy had lain or sat down for hours, not sleeping, but merely thinking, reflecting. It was especially eerie when his eyes drifted far away and he almost completely stopped blinking.  
  
Gabe had a very primitive term for what seemed to be going on. The boy was falling down in a fold. Basically, somewhere Ryou had stretched, like taffy in a way. On both ends had been a certain feeling, a way of looking at something. These two tried to get as far away from one another as they could, trying to make Ryou bend to one or the other. Now, since he was about to snap, the two ends had come together again, letting the boy see them both clearly once more, to confront both sides of whatever it was, the true and false, the lies and what should have been said in their place. Ryou didn't know which to follow, for he must choose on now, freedom or restraint, migraines or torture.  
  
Now, Ryou was waiting. Waiting maybe for whoever had hurt him to come and take control, to make the decision for him. This person who would insure him how he'd lived was how it should always be and that he never was meant to escape. In fact, he'd been allowed to go, to taste how bad it was outside, much more worse and confusing than before.  
  
The ends could separate again. They would break quickly though, being to far stretched. Good or evil, love or hate, give or loose, die outside or die inside. What this all real separated itself at was what Gabe didn't know.  
  
  
  
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Selina arrived later.  
  
"Like, where's Ryou?" she asked Gabe.  
  
"Upstairs."  
  
"Is he, like, in a good mood?" she inquired.  
  
"I don't rightly know. He's been real quiet all day. Just walking around the house where I'm not at. I hear his steps on the rooms, but he's gone when I get there. Sometimes he'll stop moving and I'll find him just sitting there, like there's nothing to life but breathing. Don't worry though; he's been in his room for a while. Last I went up he was writing something with his guitar out." Gabe told her, adding when he saw her face beam; "He was playing it though."  
  
"Has he, like, talked at all?" she asked, her third question.  
  
"Well, past please, thank you, excuse me, and the like, no. You were right about his quietness. It kinda creepy when he's making noise, but other wise, it's like nobody's here but me."  
  
Selina nodded and went upstairs. From the door she could hear a guitar being lightly plucked in a pretty little tune she'd never heard before. Ryou was being very careful with the sounds volume; she could barely hear it through the door as it grew, quite intentionally it seemed, quieter and louder. When it seemed finished, she carefully knocked.  
  
"Come in," the equally low voice replied from inside, almost as hard to catch as the music.  
  
Ryou looked up at her from where he sat on the floor, back against the 'bed',  
  
"Selina, what a pleasant surprise!" he lied, politely.  
  
"Hi, Cutie. Just thought I'd, like, stop by. I came to ask you if you'd, like, want go travel 'round a lil' bit with me, Adrienne, and the group. It'll be, like, so fun.  
  
Ryou looked down, considering. He supposed social interaction would help him, maybe. It would give him something else to think about other than his Yami. He shrugged casually as though he had barely thought one it at all.  
  
"Okay, I guess it will be enjoyable," he said slowly.  
  
"Awesome, but, like, one question though," Selina replied.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well, you aren't, like, wearing THAT by any chance, are you?" she surveyed his outfit.  
  
"Uh, well I guess so," he shrugged, feeling slightly offended.  
  
"Like, no way. You will, like, soo loose that outfit. I'll go ask Gage for something."  
  
"You really don't have too," Ryou replied, flustered more by shame than gratitude.  
  
But, Selina already had the larger man in the room. She explained the situation quickly and he left to get the garments. He soon returned with some semi loose black office pants and a red and black horizontally striped long sleeve rugby shirt with a, ehem, white collar? Its design reminded Ryou partly of his old battle city outfit. The way it was striped brought the memory. Ryou thanked him with the fewest words possible and was soon ready to go, thankful for some bizarre reason that the slacks weren't high waters.  
  
"What about my guitar?" he asked as Selina made to leave.  
  
"Bring it, Cute. Gabe has guests, like, come over whenever they want. It would be soo safer with you."  
  
"Uh, okay," he answered, getting the instrument from upstairs.  
  
The small group soon left, many eyes going to the white haired boy with the guitar case. Selina led the two to the arcade. Ryou had always been amused at how much like a casino the place seemed. It was kind weird. He'd never staid there long, never had a reason.  
  
The girl soon had him within a large group like twenty people, all seeming to know one another. Ryou felt considerably left out and decide to lean against the near wall. He stood quietly, listening the croons of adoration, as he knew without looking that Selina had pointed him out. They could groan, as much as they wanted, he would never care.  
  
Now, Ryou knew damn well he was pretty attractive in a way to those females. He'd noticed that quite easily around the opposite sex. They seemed to like him almost too easily at times. They piled on the compliments, trying to best the other in good words on him to him. The mentioned everything from his 'stylishly' messy hair to his well-polished manners, laughing at every joke he said, even if the did not understand it. But he didn't really need to listen to the vain babble to know the opinion on his looks; he merely had to stare at his Yami, which was hard to avoid doing when the Spirit entered the room. Even in anger, the Fiend had a cat- like grace, a smooth deep voice even when yelling. His other side was dangerously enticing, white-skinned a beautiful. While Ryou shyness (or femininism as one put it) was adorable, the Spirit's alluring evil was down right seductive and very difficult to resist (unless you hated him). The boy knew not one of these ditzy little girls, no matter the level of experience, could stand against the Daemon's persuasion without some strong metal effort. His Yami was just like that naturally. Ryou knew it first hand. The Spirit's power was almost frightening.  
  
For the third time, Ryou wondered were his Dark was. Did he even care where his Hikari gone to for the entire night and day? Ryou guessed if he did he'd be searching, but he was certain the Fiend could care less.  
  
Ryou leaned heavier on the wall and sighed. He watched the others before him conversing and having a good time. They got along, all of them. Friends. He wished he had some real good ones right then. Sure he KNEW Yuugi, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda. He'd even thought he'd known Malik as well. What a lie.  
  
The truth was, he'd just been a straggler. Had only ever followed the group around ever since meeting them personally first a Duelist Kingdom so long ago. At battle city too. It always was only after the Spirit of the Ring had caused some kind of trouble. The Fiend was constantly after the seven Millennium Items, hell-bent on getting them all. That was probably all his Yami had ever loved, had ever really wanted; the Power given by all the little magical trinkets.  
  
Now, though Ryou had felt he would have gone to the ends of the earth for the Tomb Robber, that was only if said corners didn't involve hurting any of hid friends to take their Items. Naturally, at the moment, he was more tan willing to relived one blonde-haired Egyptian of a certain Millennium Rod. But, that was personal.  
  
Ryou closed his eyes and leaned his head into the carpeted wall.  
  
"Nice social interacting," he mocked himself, "This is REALLY helping you not think about you're crashed love life!"  
  
Ryou sighed. Great, since Yami wasn't here to put him down, he had somehow decide to do so himself.  
  
"Ryou," a damnable voice said waking him from the Death that was the solitude of his mind. He opened his eyes and saw the horrid face of Adrienne.  
  
"Ryou, some one's, like, here to see you. He's standing with Selina and Gabe. Said he wants to discuss like last night or whatever. Some bit about you running off," she informed him.  
  
Ryou turned away. He couldn't look at Adrienne; he disliked her too much.  
  
"I don't want to talk to anyone wanting to bring up THAT again. Tell them no and that they can burn in Hell."  
  
Adrienne made a shock sound Ryou hoped was a gag; that she was finally dieing.  
  
"Didn't know you thought so high of me, Ryou. 'Tell them they can burn in Hell'? Why, I'm so deeply touched!" Ryou heard a familiar voice laugh behind him.  
  
"YOU!" he exclaimed angrily, raising his voice considerably.  
  
  
  
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AN: Okay, I never found my files, FYI. I retyped this whole entire chapter. Sorry for all the millions of delays, from the holidays to a busted computer. But hey, I got to make an actual plot for all this and have sketched up the chapter eleven I think. I'm even in the process of making a backing for a songfic sequel.  
  
Thanks to all you many reviewers. Since there are soo many of you *hehehehehehe* I'm asking for some minor five reviews before the next chapter. Okay?  
  
And remember you MUST review. I stayed up till one in the morning typing this one a Friday. You know what else I could have done? I could have gone dancing, or thrown a party at my place, I could have gone on a date with some loser just so he'd buy me jewelry and shit, I could have practice Hells Bells on my electric guitar, I could have eaten at Wendy's with their midnight schedule, and most importantly, I could have harpied my friend Gwain at Wal-Mart and messed with the merchandise. Ya'll don't know how FUN that is!  
  
Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart, that's the store! We shop there cause we are poor!  
  
  
  
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	6. Chapter 6: The Shadow Realm

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own one Epiphone guitar and I love it very much. It would be atrocious to sue me and take my only love away. Please don't do this to me! I'll cry!  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
EGO: As it turned out, Me. This chapter did not update right. I was right. You were right. We both were right! Wow, it's like you're me and I'm you! AMAZING!  
  
YAMI TSUKI TENSHI: Yep, It's Malik! Wow, you must either be physic or we're both equally insane!  
  
CHEESEPUFF: Hehehe, I like how it's turning out too. My new plot is way better than my old one.  
  
ZIRAL811: I did describe a lot, didn't I? I'm glad to know they're good. It usually takes me forever to make those. You reviewed this twice the same. Well, more reviews for me!  
  
K: Wow, you must have just started reading, reviewing chapter two. Yes, I know my fic is pretty good!  
  
ELLIE: I think this fic is great too! Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!  
  
CROSSOVER AUTHORESS: Oh, I love giving tips, It boosts my ego. I wasn't using a disk when my chapter up and left. I actually had this on the site last week, but it wasn't shown with the other fics. I had to visit the 'Find' and type in the word 'stigmatize' to see it. I removed chapter five and upped it again. So in reality, this chapter has been up for a week. I think it is funny when the computer tells you a disk's file is 'corrupt'. The wording is hilarious till you realized, 'Hey, that's my whole story!' Ya know, the 'taffy' idea was not in my notes; I just made it up as I typed. Now the guitar thing. Picture Ryou with an electric and a microphone. Ha, then you're semi-picturing this stories sequel, which is VERY sad and stabs at [maybe killing] a love triangle with you know who as the pivot point: Ryou Bakura.  
  
SHIROI YUKI.TOO LAZY TO SIGN IN: You're review did go down twice. It was the same thing both times, just worded slightly different. And oh yeah, your just pouring it over with all that grossly accumulated optimism. Sorry for confusing you [me:lier]! I don't know what to say, but; CARS! [Hehe, picture poor Ryou at the wheel of a Pontiac...how cruel am I? Hey, Station wagon! Man, I feel inspired!]  
  
R AMYTHEST: well, sorry for the OCC, but I find that Ryou doesn't have many moments of such complex emotions in all the Yu-Gi-Oh! that I've seen. Yeah, I kinda improvise a bit.  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Yes, my fic is pretty cool! I feel so very honored that this fic is such a step for you; all the Ryou fics I usually read are nice tangled messes of hate and depression.  
  
DARK-ANGEL: Oh yeah, I'm in another persons favs! Congrats, I now like you a whole lot more. Sorry about my tendency to wait a decade between updates.  
  
PHARONICPROPHESYPEACFULRA: Long name! So I have another worshipper? YES! There are three others on your boat, Cettie-Girl, ITSAME, and No Name. See, when you review all my writings, I remember who you are. Hehe, I made The Evil Laugh give you a cameo in our other fic.  
  
DRAGGY: Yes, I can't believe you knew that. Cliffhangers DO keep readers both interested and ticked! Okay, I updated my humor fic so you can see it. I was listening to my family and friends play monopoly. You don't know how crazy they get. I'm at the computer screaming, "For the love of God, man, it's a f***ing board game!" Seriously, they stage an all out fake money financial war! I don't think I want to see any of THEM on Wall Street. And here I am, the quiet, broke, song writing musician shadow that's freakishly obsessed with darkness, trying to write the 8th chapter to an anime humor fic.  
  
ANGELSKITTEN: Okay, here is the rest. Hehe, I got a little sidetracked.  
  
  
  
This is right after the memorable "YOU" last chapter.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 6: The Shadow Realm  
  
Ryou turned around and violently swung his guitar out at the Ishtar. Malik dodged it, smirking,  
  
"Cool it, Ryou. You want to join the Who or something?"  
  
The white haired boy glared at him. Selina and her group watched curious. Hey, a fight just might break out.  
  
"Who is that, Ryou?" Adrienne asked looking at the male blonde.  
  
Malik smiled and bowed shortly,  
  
"Malik Ishtar, milady."  
  
This made the girls standing around squeal in unison. Ryou felt like he was going to be sick all over the suave Egyptian's hideous pale purple shirt. A shirt that high on a male should be illegal.  
  
"You're such a player," he remarked towards the tanned blonde.  
  
This caused the Rod Bearer to smirk larger,  
  
"Not so much as a certain Ring Spirit," he growled mockingly.  
  
Ryou want the kill this former friend right then and there. He had put down the urge to swing the instrument again and use it to beat the other to a bloody pulp. Who knew what damage the guitar might sustain from the impact with the maniac's incredibly thick skull? Ryou decide on silence.  
  
"Speechless at the truth, are we?" the crazy Egyptian sneered. Ryou glared at him unblinking, "Awe, you're angry. Why don't you toss the instrument at me one more time?" he egged Ryou on.  
  
"I don't think I could survive the impact with all your rock hard styling gel and five inch think skull, Malik" Ryou stated coldly.  
  
The group turned to see how the blonde would take this. Malik's face only slightly hardened at Ryou's words, but was relaxed and easy again in seconds,  
  
"Good, very good. I just wanted to know if you wanted to inflict any physical damage before you leave with me."  
  
"What?" Ryou asked. Malik's last words were more of a command than an incredibly stupid idea.  
  
Ryou felt as though he was entering his soul room as Malik took over his mind. The living darkness of the Shadow Realm consumed his vision and his thoughts. Foolishly, he tried to break free of the restraining force that kept him from seeing outside. Sans an Item to aid him, it was futile.  
  
  
  
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The Shadow Realm.  
  
Ryou couldn't taste, smell, breathe, or physically feel anything. He couldn't clench his hands or open his eyes because they existed outside the Dark world. His body could never be fully in the nothingness, just his consciousness. Yet, he could in a way see, or realize the dark fathomless depths around him, swelling and spasing in some demented wave. The boy could have moved forward (unless he already was) and not notice it in the uniform backdrop he was immersed in.  
  
Oh, what a great gift soul rooms were! The Shadow Realm was able to restrain you in what seem so very much like a physical form. There, walls were up to keep you in and keep you out. Ryou had learned it was comfortable to be held back from the vastness of everything; to be blinded to the immenseness of a universe. If you weren't closed off, you had to be one with the everything. I was like being a living, breathing creature kept you in a human form and not some haphazard bit of energy mixed with the rest of the indefinite universe.  
  
Ryou tried to pull himself from the revealing shadows. It was of no avail. He could only go at Malik's wish or someone else's with an Item to cut the ropes that held his consciousness from his physical form.  
  
After what seemed forever, he felt the darkness dissipate. What the Hell did that Ishtar want?  
  
  
  
*===*===*===*===*  
  
  
  
As soon as he regained control of his body, Ryou scowled the blonde hair Egyptian,  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
Malik wasn't laughing at him anymore. He watched quietly as the boy dropped his guitar case and kneeled over, panting for breath. Malik was breathing heavier himself. They had taken that last blocks at a run.  
  
"And why am I so tired?" Ryou gasped, looking at Malik warily.  
  
"Cause your physic is at zero. Don't you jog?" Malik snapped in annoyance  
  
"I don't get out much," Ryou answered between the annoying need of breathing, "How far where you making me run and how fast? I'm NOT a slow sprinter, Malik."  
  
Malik looked at hi a shrugged, " Speed wasn't your problem; the five city blocks were your problem. That clerk was really in shape. If I'd know, I would have stolen lunch from a McDonalds or something."  
  
"What clerk?" Ryou asked, sitting back.  
  
"Well obviously the one I got lunch from, you dolt. I had no idea the man was an amateur marathon runner when I busted out. Where's a Tomb Robber when you need him?" Malik muttered, forgetting about Ryou's feelings on the subject.  
  
Ryou looked down sadly. Why did Malik have to bring that up again? Wasn't the fact that he was there enough for him? Malik hastily tried to correct his error,  
  
"I mean, it could have been great to have an incredibly seasoned vet to keep us from having to get so tired."  
  
Ryou nodded slowly. He was thinking about what was wrong with the Fiend at the moment.  
  
"Awe, shit," Malik muttered, crouching down to Ryou floor level, "I had to bring THAT up again. Uh, sorry 'bout that.  
  
The white haired boy looked up at him and sighed,  
  
"You just standing there reminds me, Malik. Bringing it all up again is just a hurtful bonus," he stated flatly.  
  
"Ryou, that was very uncalled for. What you're saying's just cold. You can't see yet, I did not know about you and Bakura, I had no idea. You can't damn a guy for being ignorant."  
  
"I know," Ryou said, "I don't really hate you anymore, Malik. I've more than enough time to think about it, believe me. I realize I should hate myself, if anyone. Not Bakura, he never loved me while I was doing vice versa. It's my fault that I'm so depressed now."  
  
Malik glared at him angrily,  
  
"No, Ryou, it's not your fault. Don't tell yourself that. I think Bakura was a jerk, there was a reason; something HE did to make you fall. Really, you can't just look at someone and go, 'Oh I guess I'll fall into love head first off the diving board into the dry sea of reality with whoever that hot bastard is over there.' The Spirit had to be acting towards you in some way. Maybe you obsessed yourself with the idea that he would stop doing something, hurting you, someday. Then, when it seemed like that was happening, you dived in. All and all, it's NOT your fault. Don't kill yourself about it."  
  
Ryou nodded. Malik's side made sense, even if it was not reasonable.  
  
"The way you're thinking is only defending that Spirit. It's what you do and don't want to believe and know inside somewhere it's wrong. You don't lie to yourself like that, Ryou. It will never help," Malik finished.  
  
Ryou shrugged,  
  
"I'll think about it, Malik. I'm not making any promises I'll change my opinion."  
  
Malik sighed and smiled. This was better than nothing for Ryou.  
  
"So," Ryou asked slowly, "Where that lunch you almost killed us over?" He slightly smiled back.  
  
  
  
Strange enough, for going two days without food, Ryou barely ate. He hardly touched the spongy bread, which he'd never thought to call 'spongy' before. The boy wasn't hungry. Slowly he sipped the water, not even enough to really wet his mouth. He like the way it slipped down his throat and made is head twirl lightly for a few seconds. Could a person live off water? No, but that was the only thing Malik presented him with that he even felt like wanting, though he felt no need for anything. He ignored the peculiarness of it all. He was too busy having a phase of light-headedness. Was water supposed to do that to some one not eating for almost a day?  
  
  
  
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Sorry this is so short, but I have the entire story written and can't change chapter length. Oh, and I think it's obvious the last paragraph is important later on. The reason all the fics I have are taking so long, including this one, it that I have tests and a talent show in a little more than two months to practice for. I'm playing guitar for Hells Bells [AC/DC = I do not own that] and "Straighter Boy" ["Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne with new words]. I have discovered Avril seems quite fond of a certain fingered bar cord, using your first finger, third, and fourth. Very annoying. She has them in her song "Tomorrow" as well.  
  
Hey, any of ya'll ever go to www.gibson.com the home page is funny. I kept growing and minimizing the screen to see all the funny point outs on the opening picture when I went on the site. My fav was "Distortion; to save you ass". I can so relate to that. Mess up the sound so much no one knows when you mess up the cords and fingering. FYI: I love guitar jokes. I've learned so many from my friends and their parents. They are funny to me, even though I play.  
  
Okay, yeah. Ya know, I you have a joke; I'd love reading it. I like funny stuff. Who knows, I may just smile. 


	7. Chapter 7: Crater Impact

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh to the surprise of none, neh? I do own one Epiphone guitar and I love it very much. It would be atrocious to sue me and take my only love away. Please don't do this to me! I'll cry!  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: What you must realize is this; not may character people notice Ryou in my fics [kinda bothers Ryou, ergo helping the anguish on]. If they do, then they are Yuugi. (j/k) Actually, they are too preoccupied with his hair or quietness. By the time he was playing guitar in the last chapter, he had doctored the cuts very well. I never have anyone noticing when I cut up my hands at the barn, and once it was rope burn on the palms. So, since the character only had cuts, they are even harder to notice than rope burn if the one looking is not obsessed with fingers. Do not worry, though, if you really want to know if anyone notices, I will tell you. Yes, Yuugi Motou asks him about the cuts, inspiring a failed lie. If it makes you feel better, keep picturing Ryou with long sleeves so it's harder to see his hands. …………….So more reviewers? YAY! I want to get to 100 eventually. Can you get that many? [I can't.]  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: My characters are alive in my head! So I let them live for everyone else in my fics. I can't stand solid, soulless interpretations. [Ya know, my characters also live longer in sequels, hehehe]  
  
CHEESEPUFF: Actually, Malik ain't that bad a guy in this fic. Sure, he's a little stupid at times, but we love him anyway. Almost as much as Rishid does [who is so sad!]. ……………Yes, and I think I've seen almost all the ones on the Gibson site by reclicking. I have lots of guitar jokes. Every time some one hears I play, they don't ever stop! I only memorize the actual funny ones.  
  
SADIRA-BLACK: Wow, I'm talented. I feel special now!  
  
NONAME: Ehem, The Evil Laugh calls herself the Queen of Procrastination. I'm the queen right next door; Queen of Never Doing Her School Work Cause She Rather Write Songs or Stories. As you see, with an address like that, I rarely send out or recieve letters. …………….Okay, Ryou isn't exactly drunk. You find out what is wrong later when his Yami forces him to eat [yes, he does meet Yami Bakura again and it's not happily ever-after].  
  
DRAGGY: Yes, I agree that was, uh *tries to avoid great* ….something when Malik took over Ryou. I came up with that waking up a 12 o'clock at night, you know. I always write and type in the evening and morning. ……………………..I did update loads, eh? I tend to do that.  
  
SHIROI YUKI: I read fast too! That's why I copy and paste stuff that looks interesting and read it all later. But, I read very slow during the exams this week and finished last, almost running out of time. ………………..All the schools I've ever bee to have had talent shows. They are usually near the end of a school year. The show last year sucked because I had a cold and couldn't sing [scream on pitch] at all.  
  
SHADOW QUEEN: Oh, you think you can make Yami Ryou Bakura look pathetic? I can do a lot worse. But, now I don't feel like doing that to him in my most successful fic. I'll let reviewers degrade him And, yes, I am very fond of Oreos. I feel very…nice…now….  
  
KAEHIMI: You want me to update because you do not trust Malik? What an interesting reason!  
  
  
  
This is the morning after for Yami Bakura.   
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 7: Crater Impact  
  
  
Yami Bakura stared at the wall. He drew his fist back and made yet another indention. Pain seared through his beaten hand. How come he couldn't reach Ryou? They still had a mind link, right? He wretched his red knuckles from the crater impact they had made in the fragile plaster and paint.  
  
The boy's room was completely destroyed. Yami Bakura had acted in a furry. Blankets were all over the floor with multiple feathers from a blown up pillow. His 'system' had semi-crashed; Ryou was not there for him to vent his anger on. The boy was actually the whole entire cause of the tantrum. Since Ryou wasn't present, he'd decided to take out the boy's stuff. The entire room looked like a train had crashed into it. Malik had been smart to leave immediately after Ryou ran out that night. Otherwise, the Ishtar would have been able to experience the reason Ryou was so terrified of the Spirit of the Ring.  
  
The Fiend had been ranting all night in his mind. How could anybody have the nerve to do that to him; just run? He had much more power than the pathetic child, yet Ryou had just waltzed right out to his own tune after doing a colorful number on the living room. The Spirit growled thinking about the disrespect. He had practically raised the child, only to see nothing happen at all to the boy's morals and zero strength's. It was truly embarrassing for him.  
  
He knew Ryou would return, come crawling back through the darkness of the streets to be locked up again in what was real and consistent, home, the Spirit of the Ring, and being alone. That was the only place the child could ever fit and he would soon discover that on his own. All the Fiend had to do was wait. Guessing about Ryou was like predicting rain on a cloudy, muggy day. You just knew.  
  
Yami Bakura threw his form onto the old bed and sighted in frustration. He was not known for his patience. He wanted to beat the child's skull to fragments against the wall for saying those sick words about love. There was no love, only greed for people you can't have till you get them. Eventually, you find they are extremely dull and move on to another live wire. How could Ryou even think to say such a thing? The Fiend knew if he had been forced to submit to the will of another being, he'd hate that chastiser with all his existence and fight back violently. Ryou never did that, only the vice versa. He only ever tried to defend himself with heartfelt pleads because he was weak. Yami Bakura never fell for this. Actually, it just provoked him. Annoying others to see them suffer was quite interesting in his mind.  
  
He shook his head in discord to the child's idea, gritting his teeth. Ryou was probably just born stupid. He said he loved the Fiend, and for a few seconds the Spirit had believed him. The boy's eyes had been so painfully despairing and desperate then. But, the Spirit convinced himself the boy had been acting, since he could not remember exactly how moving the child's look had been; could not fine-point the frightened yet desperately determined pitch describing the anguish. No, the boy had lied to mess with the Spirit's mind was the conviction.  
  
Of course, this puzzled the Fiend after he tried to accept it. Ryou wasn't smart enough to know exactly how such a remark would affect the Spirit of the Ring. On the flip side, he had already judged, Ryou could have been telling the truth.  
  
The Find growled, he did not want to be adored; he wanted hate and revolution. Ryou was the only one who never did that. Even though he ran away, the boy would return, which wasn't much of a revolt. Yami Bakura seriously doubted the idea Ryou had a far more sinister mind than he let on, planning his Yami's response to the words. That wasn't his Hikari. But, if that were for some strange reason true, the Spirit would have to find out.  
  
"I'm hunting that child down," he growled as his patience snapped, getting up.  
  
The Spirit left, passing the living room on the way out. It didn't smell all too great in there. He rushed to the door and opened it.  
  
Ryou's father looked up surprised from his key ring.  
  
"Ryou?" he asked.  
  
The Find growled at him.  
  
"Oh," the man replied nervously. He quickly stepped aside as the Yami brushed past him.  
  
As soon as the Spirit was out of sight, Ryou's father entered the house. He was hit instantly hit with the smell of stale, soured expensive wine. Entering the main room he saw the stains, dark and horrible, on the floor.  
  
"What the-?" he muttered, putting down his bags and crossing the room.  
  
"Ryou?" he called for his son.  
  
There was no answer. The man, trying not to get worried, shrugged and started to search the house. He stopped in surprise, observing the ruined bedroom twice. It was soon obvious the boy was not home. He could only imagine what had happened, fearing the worst. Very troubled, the man exited the house to see if any of his son's friends knew where Ryou was.  
  
  
  
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I know this is short. I already explained that topic last chapter. Next chapter will be longer, I promise! Next chapter also has [drum roll] ……..Yuugi Motou! The short tri-colored haired boy we love to love! He's gonna be the big time innocence in this fic. He almost gets an entire chapter with Ryou and the Spirit of the Ring [who is just SO insensitive j/k]. And as I replied to The-Dark-One, Ryou's cuts will be noticed. I never forget how bad I hurt a character, EVER.   
  
Hehe, next chapter is gonna be pretty descriptive. There's a certain sunset that inspired it, which I will try to explain. Of course, you'll only see this of I get nine more reviews. Okay? 9 more is the number, I didn't give one last time.  
  
Okay, I'm doing the random survey of DOOM right now in all the fics I write or co-write. A Laugh That Is Evil and me are going to do this for fun each time we update. We think up questions and I ask them. Here is this upload's question. It was actually brought up by A Laugh That Is Evil's Science teacher who was asking what the 'goo' in The Goo Goo Dolls was. I promise, if I were there I would have told her, but I was not, so cry with me.  
  
What do you think at the word 'goo'?  
A)A baby going "goo goo gah gah"  
B)Slimy crap you don't ever want to touch  
C)The Goo Goo Dolls  
D)Other you'll have to explain so we can learn, so you just might want A, B, or C.  



	8. Chapter 8: Flee

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. I never will.  
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
A LAUGH THAT IS EVIL: Wow, you review every chapter! Man, I love this fic; you live this fic, and other people too! Like I said, it's like you're me and I'm you! Amazing!  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: You are one of the many people who asked why Yami Bakura couldn't see Ryou. Hehehe, he's a difficult Yami! ……………Oh, and all French is excused until further notice.  
  
CHEESEPUFF: You're one of the only people who thought A: "goo goo gah gah". Now _I'm not the only one_ to say that!…………………. Oh, and how could Ryou's dad not be a little bothered out…of…his…mind?  
  
KARADAKI: Are you telling me I HAVE to update because you reviewed? Ehem, well for future reference, I happen to be very stubborn and will delay chapters for such petty reasons! [j/k] I love to update! ^_^………………..Oh and I tend to make Malik both evil _and _stupid [ignorant].  
  
NONAME: You're the only person to acknowledge the great name change! Wow! ……….Hey, does calling someone Master, just, well, bother you? I never make Ryou call his Yami that because, uh, I just am not…there's something terribly wrong with the word, 'Master'. I don't even know why I'm typing this opinion, though. Okay, shutting up now.  
  
JESSICA: Okay, for all my chapters, I update at a specific number of reviews. In other words 'UPDATE SOON' means absolutely _nothing_ to me. Yeah………………..Yay, my fic has been dubbed 'great' again. *feels specialfully proud*  
  
SHIROI YUKI: "Hunt that boy down" was an anger phrase. He might just give up after seeing Malik. ………………..Oh, I always copy and paste, I can't afford to use all my time reading online. …………………..! _"I'll probably sing and then get sued by hundreds of people for making them deaf…."_ Hey, isn't that what Avril Lavigne does live? [j/k] And if you actually sound like Avril Lavigne [live] don't worry, the studios' have these wonderful devices that synthesize all the sound. They'll fine-tune it so you sound good [on the radio]. ………………………The answer B! Everyone thinks goo is "slimy stuff you don't ever want to touch". I though A, "goo goo gah ah". Okay, I guess I'm just crazy, or, something….  
  
SHESHELALA: Yes, the ninth reviewer! The reason I took so long updating was because I didn't get nine reviews. I'm serious about that review thing! I'm so glad you took the time to do the horrible reviewing so I would update. Yay!  
  
KAEHIMI: Yay, my fic is wonderful! *jumps around the room for five seconds* You not trust Malik? Me neither, but I think Ryou got over it in this fic. *checks future chapters* Yeah, he gets over it. Who you should really not take seriously is my interpretation Yami Bakura. I foretell major heartbreak by him for little Hikari Ryou. *wonders why she [Ego] always puts actions in asterlisks* I wonder why I do that? [cough:cause:I'm:insane:cough]  
  
  
  
This is the day [and evening] for Ryou. He's been at the Ishtar's for hours. His dad went to the Game Shop to complain. The Yami Ryou Bakura is somewhere you'll find out next chapter.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 8: Flee  
  
  
Both boys sat on the floor, one with the guitar and the other instructing the proper fingering for a basic C cord.  
  
"This it, Ryou?"  
  
"Not yet, Malik, but close. Switch the second and third fingers."  
  
"Like this? Am I on the right line thing this time?"  
  
"Fret," Ryou corrected, "Yes, now strum all the strings but low E."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"All the strings below the fat one on top."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Malik brought his thumb down in a staccato downward brush.  
  
"How was that?" he asked the teacher.  
  
The pale boy held back a hopeless sigh. He nodded politely.  
  
"Closer, but lets move on to something else."  
  
Malik took his fingers out of the C cording.  
  
"Owe," he whined stretching out all five digits, "my hand hurts."  
  
"You were pressing down too hard, Malik," Ryou informed him, "no one's going to try taking the guitar. Also, it helps to _drop the wrist_. I must have told you that ten times already!"  
  
Malik laughed, "But you make playing look so easy, Ryou! I've gotta see your hands."  
  
Ryou pulled up his sleeve over his wrists and held out his hands, palms up with only the ends of his fingers protruding. Malik put down the instrument, took both, and looked them over, feeling the tips.  
  
"Man, you need a manicure, your fingertips are all peeling and stuff. They're hard too," he added, flicking hardly at one.  
  
"Same for you," Ryou remarked pulling back, "when was the last time you cut your nails, I dare to ask?"  
  
Malik smirked and threw a mock punch at Ryou's head. He stopped right it front of the boy's face, stretched forward a pointer finger, and scratched the pale nose. Ryou kicked Malik square in the stomach, causing him to topple over backwards. Isis came in before a small spare broke out.  
  
"What are you two doing?" she asked with authority, entering the room. Ryou and Malik instantly straightened up.  
  
"Ryou was teaching me to play guitar," Malik answered sitting up.  
  
"Really," she replied disbelieving, "What part of guitar playing says you have to kick your students in the chest?"  
  
"Oh, that's easy! It's the same part that recommends throwing fake punches at the instructor," Malik responded smartly.  
  
"I see you've learned well then," his sister agreed.  
  
"Hell yeah," Malik cheered, "I'm ready to play lead for Billy Joel's guys."  
  
"Uh, he was the _Piano_ Man, Malik," Ryou informed nervously.  
  
"So, is there a better reason?" Malik replied.  
  
"There _is_ no reason…." Ryou remarked confused.  
  
"Quite," Isis replied shortly, "Sorry for my brother's lack of maturity, Ryou," she apologized turning to him, "Feel free to kick the fool anytime you want. Don't worry about any injury it causes. Ra knows, it might just knock some sense into him."  
  
"Uh, yes ma'am," Ryou replied, giving the other boy a sarcastic malicious glare as Isis left the room.  
  
Malik burst into pleas of laughter, falling back. The Ishtar clutched his sides and rolled back and forth. Ryou meekly edged away from the caffeine-hyped teen, grabbing the instrument.  
  
"Malik," he said. The blonde haired Egyptian paused in his spasms to look at Ryou, "I'll just go for a walk now, okay? I'm leaving the guitar so you know I'm coming back. Are you listening?"  
  
Malik nodded, "Sure, go-go ahead, "he paused to take a gulp of air, chuckling, "I won't break it or anything."  
  
Ryou nodded slowly and left. Malik needed to stay away from the midday coffee rush.  
  
  
  
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Ryou had been staying at the Ishtar's since Malik had stolen lunch from the grocer. The blonde had lent his friend clothes to replace the former loans from Gabe. After choosing some rather somber garments, Ryou'd been acting convincingly happy, even trying to teach the impossible boy guitar. The entire time he hated how glad the two family members where. If they thought their cheery attitude would rub off on their guest, they were wrong. The behavior only sickened him. The boy tired of the two's company very soon. Merely seeing Malik reminded Ryou of his Dark. He seriously needed out of that area. The place was just depressing.  
  
Ryou left the building quietly. He watched the sun try to shine past the cluttered horizon to the small narrow streets. He made his way up levels of the city till the reached a view point Yuugi had told him about. The sun was able to send its fading orange light onto the smooth plaster and cement. The boy walked to the edge and grabbed the fence loosely. Looking through the wire he could see the full modern vista of Domino City. Far off the sun was setting behind the tall skyscrapers, tinting the zenith a deep crimson red. The usually feathery clouds were solid smoke masses of vivid oranges, golden yellows, and deep purples. Above in far heights the dark inky blackness of the twilight tried to creep in and swallow the show, claiming the sky for night. For now though, the sun continued to portray it ruled the failing appearance. The friend was failing slowly, looking like a sphere surrounded by it's losing light, waning away in a sea of gory blood. There was glory in the fall of the sun, though bathed in red, for it would return again new and sorely bright. It would rise with a white violence making the people below look away and hide beneath lotions and sunglasses. Darkness would only be where the rays could not intrude. Unless, of course, it was the mind of a depressed child, watching the sun abandon him for another side of the world. Like everything else, the fiery orb left him behind.  
  
"You know, you could paint a sunset like that and almost no one would believe it," a voice interrupted.  
  
Ryou jumped and turned around. Sitting against the burnt sienna wall was Yuugi Motou.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Yuugi, I didn't know…" he started.  
  
"Don't worry, Ryou," he said getting up and standing next to his friend.  
  
"So, you finally took my recommendation that this is the best spot for city viewing?"  
  
"Yeah," Ryou forced a smile, "You were right. I can see everything it seems. I can sorta even glimpse my house from here."  
  
Yuugi nodded, "See? That's why I come up so often."  
  
Ryou looked at him confused, "To see my house?"  
  
"What?" Yuugi asked, "Oh, no! It gives me time to think. It's always so quiet up here. If I've had a rather hectic day, I come up and sort myself out."  
  
"Sorry if I bothered you, Yuugi," Ryou apologized.  
  
"No bother. I'm kinda glad someone's up here with me today. I don't feel so lonely that way. I was feeling ignored earlier. I had trouble enjoying the day; everything was sorta in some elusive pack against me. It was like someone started a pool on how long till I snap. I hate that feeling. But, you probably have no idea, everything goes your way." Yuugi sighed and looked at the last vain efforts of the sun to illuminate the landscape.  
  
"I do understand, Yuugi." Ryou muttered slowly. Yuugi looked at him curious. The taller boy continued, "I actually feel like that everyday. My life is always running blindly through the helter-skelter. I just never let you notice or care."  
  
Yuugi looked slightly surprised and disbelieving. Ryou quickly change the subject, "Enough on our lives, though. What were you thinking about before I stopped by?"  
  
"Oh, you, actually," Yuugi replied, thinking back for a few seconds.  
  
"Why? I know I'm not the most interesting topic ever made," Ryou remarked.  
  
"Well, the Spirit told me your father had stopped by the Game Shop. The guy wanted to know how to get rid of a Yami," Yuugi smirked, "He seemed pretty tired of the Tomb Robber."  
  
Ryou looked at Yuugi wide-eyed. He knew at the smirk that the boy had no idea his friend was abused by the Fiend. Either the Pharaoh had not told him or his father had not said anything about it. He quickly blinked away his expression and nodded a bit late.  
  
"Oh," he remarked.  
  
Yuugi looked confused again.  
  
"What's wrong now? How about we jump to you, what were you thinking about? I've already told you about me," the Motou suggested.  
  
Ryou turned to the fence. The sun's battle was lost on their side of the world. Now it rushed to inhabit the other non-patrolled lands far away. All that could be seen of the running general was a large panorama of light. The moon was scarred in battle as it limped in to support light's campaign, waning to a small silver sliver. Soon it would take leave till it could slowly return to full power. But now the sky was a calm, none violent dark blue. The sun had flown in a tragic ocean of color and bizarre, insane light. Now everything was sadly peaceful. It was the same dark after each struggle. Nothing about it had changed. While the rebelling childish sun chose new ways to sink, the old eternal night in the backdrop of the universe slipped into place respectively.  
  
Ryou sighed slightly. The cycle of day and night still went on unhindered. Nothing had stopped in its ancient pattern for Ryou because he was depressed. The lot could have cared less how one minor person felt. A person who held an alter ego aiming for the power to change everything till it fit his demoniac desires. It would be quite alarming to those like Yuugi if suddenly the world were to respond to a lost person's state of mind. Ryou could hardly picture how the sky would appear if his misery were reflected in the view. Now, though, it was obvious that if nature did mimic one person's mood, than that soul was feeling a decent amount of averages. They were happy and normal so nothing changed. Ryou knew that person wasn't him.  
  
"Guitar," he lied finally, "I was thinking about my guitar."  
  
"You're still playing that?" Yuugi asked, "I thought the strings were shot or something."  
  
"I got new ones. I'm not a bad guitarist," he told the boy.  
  
"Oh, really? You should play for all of us sometime. Honda and Jounouchi were trying to make a band. Honda had his dad's keyboard and Jounouchi plays drums for the school marching band," Yuugi smirked again, "They were terrible. All they did was pull stuff from the tops of their heads, which isn't much."  
  
"Those two are hopeless. Could they even write music?" Ryou asked, forcing another smile.  
  
"No," Yuugi informed him, "Maybe you could help them?"  
  
"I don't mind," Ryou shrugged, "but no one's asked yet."  
  
Yuugi nodded, "True, but we all thought you gave up guitar a long time ago."  
  
"Why?" Ryou asked, confused.  
  
"Well, you stopped doing lots of stuff last year. You didn't talk much, didn't eat much," he looked over Ryou's thin form, "You even stopped playing Duel Monsters whenever we asked. All you did was homework and writing. You got kinda creepy. You don't understand how freaked out I am that you're here talking and acting like you used to. I thought that part of you skipped town or something. That's why I didn't say hi when you first came up here. I didn't think you'd stay."  
  
Ryou looked at the fence. He was more normal when his Dark was gone. He had changed that time almost a year ago when the Spirit had started seriously and sexually hurting him. Who wouldn't after what he went through?  
  
Distantly, he traced his fingers over the metal wiring. He felt the cold cords of the woven cage. It tried to prick him with drip points where it had been welted. The sharp efforts were in vain; the boy's fingertips were too hard with his Spartan routine of guitar playing. Calmly he traced the linked rhombi. The boy felt and distantly caressed the thin wiring of the fence. He felt a point and looked at the tip. He pressed his thin-skinned thumb against it, feeling the light prick with a morbid amusement. The metal's point wasn't sharp enough to do any damage, not unless he pressed down with his arm's strength….  
  
"Ryou, stop that," Yuugi ordered.  
  
Ryou looked at the boy quickly, "Stop what?"  
  
"You're going into your conservative little world again. There's something bothering you, what is it? Tell me, Ryou."  
  
Ryou shrugged, repetitively pressing his thumb against the metal in his slight frustration. He stabbed in time to his new headache. He didn't have a headache five minutes ago. Yuugi grabbed his wrist before he drew blood.  
  
"Quite, Ryou, you're gonna-" the boy cut himself off with a small gasp, seeing the arm where the long sleeve had been knocked away, his voice dropping to a whisper, "-hurt yourself."  
  
Ryou looked down as well. Bruises and teeth marks shown darkly in the fading light. Small cuts wound along the pale stretched skin, some from glass, and others from different things. This included scratches from long, sharp nails of the Daemon, which racked the entire body under the dark garments. There were also two or three Ryou had put there himself with a house key. He winced slightly at Yuugi's warm, salty hand clamped around the wounds. The shorter boy let go quickly.  
  
"What happened to you, Ryou? None of those look likes an accident."  
  
Ryou pulled his sleeve down again and replied hastily, "It's nothing, Yuugi."  
  
"You have injuries all up your arm, Ryou! I suppose that's not all either. If it's not you hurting yourself, I want to know who is. Let me and Yami help," the Motou pleaded, a suddenly frightening innocence shining in his eyes.   
  
Ryou started straightening his borrowed clothes, Malik's. He would not look up at Yuugi till he had fixed the dark fabric all over him, from socks to shirt. When he was done, he stared quietly, trying not to blink.  
  
Yuugi watched him sadly. He thought his friend looked like a wraith of what he once was. The pale skin had almost no color save its injuries. The shockingly white hair, still long, messy, and seemingly non-brushed, was a furious white mane around a pained face. The dim light made the two large brown eyes look seriously out of place in their frail setting shadowed by the locks. In a depressingly pathetic, darkly mysterious way, Ryou was still beautiful. But, the boy was almost dangerously thin, except a slightly round boyish face, with hardly any physic. His eyes had a pitiable sad, scared, and lonely look all at once. He wanted help but did not want to be a burden or be lied to. It was confusing to try and see hope in the face.  
  
Yuugi felt sorry for his friend. He noted sadly that there were no scares on the ghostlike face. The Devil had been smart enough to make sure nobody noticed. Yuugi had no idea of how long Ryou had hidden the torment under long garments. But, he suspected it had been longer than when Ryou started to change. Yuugi hoped there had been a turn for the better. Ryou had been happy earlier. Maybe the boy had solved his problem on his own. The Motou wished it were so.  
  
Ryou just looked up at him eerily. Yuugi felt a shiver travel up his spine. Ryou had become cold and frightening again. The boy wished he hadn't seen the arm. He really wished he hadn't seen the arm.  
  
  
  
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For a long time the two roamed in silence on the viewing area. Ryou didn't answer Yuugi's last question about who hurt him. He told himself he didn't want to tell the boy anything. He lied that he didn't want anyone to care. He stared at the sky angrily. The sun wasn't completely gone yet, but the small dying moon was crawling above. I was dark till a nearby electric light clicked to life. It's brightness made it almost impossible to see the last glow in the horizon. The valiant sun was now just running. It had given up for the day.  
  
Quite suddenly, Yami Yuugi was present standing next to his Hikari. Ryou looked up at him in fear. He wondered again whether or not the Spirit of the Puzzle knew things, certain bits of information, from his father.  
  
"Ryou Bakura?" the Spirit asked seeing him.  
  
Ryou looked the taller Yuugi in the eye. The crimson orbs told confusingly of concern and relief, with the fading shock of surprise. The Spirit obviously had not expected to see Ryou with Yuugi but was glad he was there anyway.  
  
"Yes," he replied to the Spirit's inquiry. He was slowly learning how to use few words.  
  
"Oh, sorry, where you and Yuugi talking?" he asked.  
  
"No," Ryou answered before the little boy could open his mouth. Yuugi looked at him, hurt and surprised.  
  
"Oh, well, Hikari," the Spirit nodded turning his attentions to the smaller boy, "You must go to your soul room before Grandpa finds out you've 'completely blown' you curfew. He wants you indoors by eight, remember?"  
  
Yuugi nodded and left; letting the dark spirit take over their body. Ryou watched angrily. Yuugi was so willing; the Spirit didn't have to force his Light to do anything. There was a trust. Ryou looked away before he choked, a furrow scorning his often-smooth brow.  
  
"Ryou Bakura, I must have a talk with you," the Spirit said, walking up.  
  
Ryou didn't turn around, just faced the wall. He didn't have to sit through a lecture if he wasn't going to listen. Anyway, he hardly knew the Spirit of the Puzzle past his great dueling abilities and friendship with Yuugi. Him and his Light got along so well that it bothered Ryou. He was always annoyed when the two where there because he wished his own life sharer was so forgiving. Of course, Ryou wished lots of things. The wanting for the unachievable was frustrating. The Pharaoh's presence wasn't helping and the Yami wanted to _talk_. How did discussing things improve them? Ryou had heard enough pity rants from Malik, Selina, Yuugi, and himself.  
  
"We must talk. Let me," the Spirit asked quietly. Ryou felt a chill run up his spine as the Fiend approached.  
  
"Okay," he replied turning around. He caught his breath and stepped back quickly. Yami Yuugi was right behind him and in turning he'd tilted almost to close. It made him easier to have at least a foot between them. Quickly he tried to collect his dignity, resuming his scowl, "Take a number and get in line. Maybe I could schedule you a day to come and yap all you want. How's the thirty-first of Never sound?"  
  
  
  
Yami Yuugi sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the child. The Bakura boy was usually so quiet and of an almost stoic nature. Why was he being so difficult now? So sarcastic and defying, it was like a different young man stood before him. What had happened to the withdrawn and polite child Little Yuugi had made friends with?  
  
"You've changed," the Ancient Spirit mused aloud, "You never used to act like this."  
  
"Act like what?" the boy asked in a lighter tone. The Spirit heard a familiar tone of the old Ryou behind it. Curious, the boy was curious.  
  
Yami raised his hand (at which Ryou suppressed a flinch) and began to tick off on his fingers, "Well, you're more cautious, paranoid, still quiet, but I don't see you usual shyness very often in that, only restraint. You're keeping secrets that probably shouldn't be held by anyone. It's obvious in the way you talk, the way you respond to others. Just now I was more than seven inches from you and you jumped back nearly a foot and a half. My presence seems to alarm you."  
  
Ryou had forgotten the Spirit tended to be a shrink at times. He repeated over and over that the Spirit was reading his mind or something. That had to be it. He resisted the urge to sidestep away as the Pharaoh got nearer, closing the gap between them to five or six inches. The Yami suddenly seemed a lot taller.  
  
"Why don't you back up, Ryou? I know you want to," the Spirit mocked mildly.  
  
Ryou tensed slightly as he felt the strong urge to run. He kept himself from sprinting away though, to defy the Yami. He avoided the other's eyes stubbornly.  
  
  
  
Yami Yuugi watched him sadly.  
  
_/ His arms, Yami, they're horrible! / _Yuugi had told him earlier.  
  
The Spirit reached down for the boy's hand. Ryou twitched slightly at the approach, but let him grab the fingers. Carefully his turned to palm upwards and lifted the arm to the light. Ryou had almost stopped breathing at a livable rate. The boy soon held his breath as the cloth was pulled back from the arm.  
  
Yuugi had been right; the injuries did travel up the entire length of flesh. The red cuts and wrinkles of scars shown roughly in the dim city light. Large shadowy blotches were all over. The Spirit took a chilling note of the teeth marks; human teeth marks like a five-year-old accomplishes when it wants to wear a new pretty Band-Aid. They didn't break skin (or at least most didn't) but left red traces. There were scrapes and cuts, one obviously a knife wound. There were even five welds that took the position to be of five digits on the same hand.  
  
"How much of this did he do? How much did you?" he asked quietly.  
  
Ryou didn't answer. The Spirit became aware that the boy was vibrating violently. The child was terrified. He looked at the young man's frightened expression and let go of the hand. The boy panicked instantly for five seconds.  
  
  
  
Ryou shot back quickly. He yanked his arm back so fast he lost balance and fell backwards. He crawled away on all fours stomach up spider-like till he hit the wall. There he had to stop, cornered. He looked up in terror. For a brief moment, Ryou had picture to Spirit of the Ring grabbing him. He had imagined the evil air of the Fiend taking him in.  
  
"Yuugi was right," the Yami pondered orally, "You have been abused. I'm sorry if you were hurt falling back. Here, let me help you," he offered.  
  
The Pharaoh held out his hand and leaned forward to grab Ryou's to help him up. Ryou pulled away quickly.  
  
"Don't touch me!" he ordered, using the wall as a hasty support instead of the friendly hand.  
  
"Ryou," the Spirit murmured.  
  
The boy looked at the Yami in pain at the boldness to understand, or attempt to understand.   
  
"Leave me alone," the boy muttered dejectedly.  
  
No longer resisting the urge to flee, Ryou ran back into the building, down the stairs, and out into the street. There were no sounds of pursuit, but he sprinted down the block any way. He had to get away, far away.  
  
  
  
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You know, for the longest time I was stuck at eight reviews? I requested nine. I'm serious about the review thing, everyone!  
  
Okay, it took a while to get nine reviews. I'm asking for eight now because I feel bad. Warning: low self esteem; evacuate the premises in an orderly fashion.  
  
If my confidence dies, so does the fic!  
  
This update's question:  
  
Do any of you know what Latin phrase_ 'Musica excitat animum' _means? I'm not too sure I spelled it right in this document, but I carved it correctly into my friend's piano yesterday. He hasn't seen it yet! If you don't know what it is, but what to know, review and ask! [Heh, I know, I've written it all over the orchestra and choir rooms!]  
  



	9. Chapter 9: Hey, That Rhymed!

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Once I get that big break, this will not bother me any longer.  
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
A LAUGH THAT IS EVIL: You [I] review again!  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: I know, poor Ryou, how could that stupid author do that to him? ::has a reality check:: Oh wait, how could_ I _do this to him! NOOOOO!  
  
KEMU: I know, it's fascinating why they all find out about Ryou's issues, eh? They are completely blind before then.  
  
KAGENO RYU: 'Music awakens the soul' is very close to what I was taught. Another person said '…_excites_ the soul'. The Latin roughly translated makes a similar message either way. I learned the phrase as 'Music _uplifts_ the soul'. Go figure, it's like the same difference though because it's Latin, eh? Just depends on perspective, I guess. You're one of two people who've answered that question. Maybe I should get you to help with my homework. There's a test in two weeks. Hmm….  
  
CHAOS ANGEL: Bakura is…………….you'll fine out this chapter.  
  
NO NAME: Do you even know the answer to last updates question? Why? Okay, well between you and me, I'm asking what that phrase means to see whom I should E-mail for Latin class answers. Shhh… don't tell! [j/k] Yes, I've already heard my fic is good many times.  
  
NONAME: There are 2 reviewers with the words 'no' and 'name' in their identifiers and both are anonymous! [oh, that makes replying soo much fun!] …………………Okay, my friends [all guy friends] playing Dungeons and Dragons inspired the "master" question. They were all calling my neighbor their 'Master', 'Dungeon Master', and all that stuff. I kinda raised my eyebrows in surprise at the oddness of the phrase as I typed my reply to you. I never can think of "Master" the, ehem, proper way now. ……………… Quote: "...as long as! there's people who get it right, there will be people who get it wrong…." Hey, my friend always says that to people when they mess up. She said that to defend me when I messed up practicing 'Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Chaplin. Weird.  
  
PHARONICPROPHESYPEACFULRA: You're Latin is very close to what I learned. But, that just depends on how you look at it. You and the other person who replied got 'music' and 'soul' but that damn _excitat_ gets everyone. Another person said '….awakens the soul' instead. They all basically mean the same thing. I was taught that the phrase means 'Music uplifts the soul" for class. You learn Latin? Well, there's a big exam in two weeks…. [j/k bout cheating, which is a horrible, _horrible_ thing to do! Uh…yeah…]  
  
CHEESEPUFF: I know my chapters are good! [and I find this information has yet to disappoint or annoy me]  
  
DRAGGY: Wow, you quoted part of last chapter! You're the only reviewer then that I know hands down who actually read the chapter [I'm really used to all those stuck up mediaminor reviewers that if they don't quote, they didn't read or didn't care]. Hey, you know what, I checked and saw that I was in your favs, but in my "You are in __ members' favorites you're not mentioned at all. Weird, I checked some other folk's names and found out I was in their favs too, and fanfiction.net never told me! This means more people like the stories in my penname than I thought. Hey, this fic might be in the area on 17-19 chapters. For me that is short and I plan a sequel! [sry for seeming random, but I'm suddenly having a lot of trouble concentrating on what I'm typing now]  
  
  
  
  
This is what happened to Yami Bakura after he left the house. He has very little motivation for searching apparently.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 9: Hey, That Rhymed!  
  
  
Yami Bakura reached Malik's in very good time due to the stalling fact he had no idea how to get there. The blonde haired Egyptian had relocated nearly seven different times to avoid the Find. It was quite hilarious because the Spirit could _always_ find him. (The Millennium Rod was more than half the reason for this.)  
  
"Ishtar!" the Yami hollered walking in.  
  
There were two quite frustrating unison replies. The Spirit nearly slapped his forehead. Both idiot mortals were home. It would have been easy to locate the brother if his voice weren't so damn feminine.  
  
"Malik?" he inquired loudly.  
  
The blonde haired, blue-eyed, Egyptian retard was soon present.  
  
"I'm not talking to you," the moron remarked, making to exit.  
  
"To bad, kid," the Fiend growled, grabbing the boy's collar, "you just did."  
  
"Hey, that rhymed!" Malik sang out childishly in an attempt to be cheerful and succeeding in being annoying instead.  
  
"Yeah, and if you don't stop making such stupid remarks, I'll feel obliged to slam your head against the wall in time," the Daemon answered.  
  
This shut Malik up quite well to say the most. The boy knew anything he could say would be classified as a 'stupid remark'. He kept his mouth shut as the Yami pulled him aside to an empty room.  
  
"Now," the Fiend started, dropping the young man, "Where's my Hikari?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Malik answered.  
  
"Oh, yes, you do, don't act dumb with me, Mortal," the Spirit threatened.  
  
The boy looked at him with a slightly injured air, "I have a name you know, so does your 'Hikari'. Incase you forgot; the kid's name is Ryou Bakura. You should know that, it's your Light."  
  
While he held back the urge to punch Malik in the face, the Spirit did send a sharp kick in the boy's shin. The Ishtar fell backwards easily do to a very horrible relationship with gravity. The Yami didn't feel like smirking at this though in his anger.  
  
"Fine, where's _Ryou_!" the Fiend yelled, "And don't give me and of that shit like you don't know what I'm saying. His stupid guitar is right there!"  
  
Malik looked at the case against the wall and grinned knowingly.  
  
"Wow, someone's observant!" he replied with laughter in his voice.  
  
"Will you shut up and answer me?" the Fiend asked annoyed.  
  
Malik shrugged and looked up at the Spirit, "Okay, I have no idea where _your Hikari _is now exactly. He went out for a walk a while ago; said he was gonna come back since I have the guitar here."  
  
The Yami nodded and grabbed the black case.  
  
"I'll be taking this then," he informed.  
  
Malik looked at him confused, "Why do you want Ryou's guitar?"  
  
"To beat annoying Mortals," the Dark smirked, "so you better shut up."  
  
"Awe, I'm not that bad, am I?" the Ishtar asked innocently.  
  
"No, worst," the Fiend replied, "No thanks, for your cooperation. You have successfully wasted my time. Congratulations on being a sufficient idiot."  
  
"Anytime," Malik smirked as the Spirit of the Ring left, "you moron."  
  
"I heard that!" the Fiend yelled from the hallway, "It's called a mirror, Ishtar."  
  
With this parting remark, the Fiend exited. That idiot was the only person alive brave (or stupid) enough to talk back to the violent Spirit. The Yami found himself wondering how the boy even lived with his constant blonde tendencies. That kid's brain didn't set off the charge to light a single Christmas light. What patheticness there was there!  
  
  
  
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It was getting dark out as the Fiend walked finally to the Game Shop. He'd check all of Ryou's friend's houses but Yuugi Motou's. The one chick, Anzu, almost clawed his eyes out with her dangerous fingernails after getting a call from Yami. The Fiend made tracks fast. She was the last house he had visited before trying the Motou's. He had hoped it would be too dark out to go as far as the Shop.  
  
The Yami came across a surprise when he reached the Pharaoh's. The two tri-colored hair freaks wouldn't let him in. They locked the door and threatened him if he tried to get to Ryou. Feeling a little obviously uninformed, the Spirit had hung around their house unbeknownst to the occupants and discovered, to his sudden disappointment, they did not know where his Hikari was. On a more frustrating tone, he also heard an account on the phone to either Honda or Jounounchi of what had been seen on Ryou's arms. The Daemon involuntarily growled at this discovery. Ryou should have knocked that little Yuugi punk out for touching him. He could almost hear what sounded like Jounounchi screaming through the other line. It was almost funny.   
  
Almost.   
  
He growled and with a slight mental effort, blowing up a nearby streetlight in frustration. The two Yuugi's watched it shatter from inside the house. Obviously, they were alarmed. Streetlamps simply aren't supposed to just shatter dangerously onto the road below without an excuse from the power companies or the press.  
  
"What was that?" little Yuugi asked.  
  
Yami Yuugi was already at the window, glaring down at the Spirit of the Ring. He knew what power had done the mild destruction.  
  
"What are you doing here, Fiend? If you don't leave, I'll have to come down there," the Pharaoh threatened.  
  
"And I'm scared, why?" the other growled below.  
  
"I know which direction you're Hikari ran; a lot more than you do. I could take him from you since I know the area to look," the Yuugi informed.  
  
"Well, if you care so much, why did you let him go off? I thought you'd be running after Ryou trying to help him. I had not idea you were so cold to other's Hikari in pain," the Daemon mocked.  
  
"He wanted to be by himself, something you never understand," Yami Yuugi spat.  
  
"Ha, and are you gonna feel that way after he gets hit by a car, mugged in an alley, or lost and kidnapped? Are you?" the Fiend asked smartly.  
  
Yami Yuugi's eyes twitched slightly as he glared. The Spirit of the Ring smirked at the absence of an answer.  
  
"I'll leave you with that, Pharaoh," he nodded, walking away quietly.  
  
  
  
Halfway home, the Fiend yawned. To his sudden alarm he was tired. It was a shocking discovery for the Yami. Walking home, he could barely keep his eyes open since they felt uncomfortably like they were weighed down with sandbags. This was an almost new experience for him; he hadn't needed real sleep in years. When the Spirit reached the house he literally collapsed onto the couch before he could stop himself from plummeting into darkness. Sleeping wasn't important to Yami's and Shadow creatures, but now he couldn't control it. Only Mortals really needed to rest.  
  
  
  
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Ryou ran fast. He had to get far away.  
  
Ryou was soon lost in the darkness. He'd run blindly into the streets and alleys, not thinking of direction, just going, fleeing from something he couldn't escape. The fear, anger, loss, and brief snips of joy had been pushed back away into a relaxing blankness. His misery and paranoia hung over him, but not in him. The boy tried not to think of any pictures in his mind's eye, just viewed black. He could not white out reality in his current state. Instead, ebony clouds consumed images and color before he was forced to view them. White would have held all colors, emotions, equally. Ryou's thoughts did not do so now, he was being consumed by the shades on different levels; black enveloped all.  
  
The boy's sides began to ache from the consistency of the physical exertion as he flew over the dark asphalt of the 'concrete' jungle. The maze of busy intersections and ally ways did not faze him as he darted through or around traffic. He almost got run over twice and may have been the cause of one accident at least. He didn't care; he was riding a rush of energy away from everything. He fanaticized he went so fast the memories wouldn't be able to catch up.  
  
Ryou didn't know where in Domino City he was when he finally tripped, landing headlong into the rough cement and performing a few harsh summersaults. This momentum didn't slow till it was transferred to a cruelly placed wall. The adrenaline instantly ended.  
  
The boy's form completely stopped. The small bump he'd tripped on had ended his sprint. He did not even attempt to arise from the shape his body had taken as it vertically slammed into the hard brick wall. For the best of forty minutes he lay there, barely moving even to breathe. To a passerby Ryou would have seemed as dead as he wished he were.  
  
  
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AN: Wow, five reviews in one day! Only three short of an instant eight! Wow, I'm sorta happy. Things are looking up. I do hope everyone reviews; this fic is getting very close to 100. It's only the eighth chapter, too! The other fic I was working on with The Evil Laugh didn't get 100 till chapter twenty something!  
  
Now I request over five reviews. They're a ninety-five right now. This fic is so very close to 100. Please review, it means something to me to have reviews go high. It also makes me type faster from a sudden inspiration [hint, hint, especially those reading my other fics with The Evil Laugh].  
  
Now all the next stuff is news I am telling to make sure ya'll read it. It's gonna be in my bio, but no one will read it there.   
  
FOR THOSE WHO READ MY OTHER YU-GI-OH FANFICS: I'm going to publish another fic by The Evil Laugh and me since we have writer block on "Sorry For You Hikari of Yami Bakura" right now. We're working on the last chapter. It's sorta planned, but we just can't get to typing it at all I mean, it's the last chapter! So this other fic we have is about Yami Bakura, has Ancient Egypt, and has no mary-sues, original characters, child abuse, or a plot [j/k!]. Wow, how did we do that?  
  
Also, I'm putting a revised version of "Sorry For You, Hikari of Yami Bakura on Mediaminor. I took The Evil Laugh and my own's story and edited it. It is only a little different from the original, but if you have never read it, read it there once I get it up.  
  
Remember to review "Stigmatized" soon! It is so close to 100 now!  
  
~Alter Ego~  



	10. Chapter 10: Tense

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: Konnichi wa, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. Sayonara, after you read and review my fic.  
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
KEMU: Yes, I know the chapter title rhymed! Aren't I great at that? Yes, the Millennium Ring does have to do with this [OMG] plot.  
  
YAMI KRISSY: You likes? Me like Honeycomb! [Me not own that] Me actually, well, I don't really like Honeycomb, to tell you the truth. Uh…. Yeah, whatever!  
  
CHEESEPUFF: I can make any character an idiot. Everyone's a baka somewhere in what I write. Ryou's an egomaniac drowning in his own problems, Yami Bakura's got control issue standards, Malik looks nothing like the stereotype Egyptian, Isis can't lower her head or she get stabbed by her Tauk, and Yuugi keeps rambling about that infamous 'other mind' because he's bipolar. I think all the Hakari's fall under that, their theme probably "Unwell" by Matchbox 20 [which I don't own].  
  
KEK: Ryou's happenings are the topic of my next chapter. Bakura is cruel because he's got 'issues'. And I love cliffhangers. There, info about me, and all my questions are answered! Yay!  
  
SHESHELALA: Wow, if I don't update, you don't know what you'll do? I need a better threat before I'm scared into updating! I'm glad you love my fic.  
  
BLAZE THE RAGING WEREWOLF: Oooo, you're gonna hit Yami B with a big object? You mean something bigger than his ego? Wow, I wanna see that! Oh, and smile, you're the 100th reviewer! Cheers!  
  
KATAN: You've read my fic twice! Wow, that more than me, uh wait, I'm typing it…. You think this is one of the best Yu-Gi-Oh right now? How nice! Then go get me more reviewers. Someone told me one of the fics I co-write is one of the three best Ryou fics. Wow, I feel great!  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: I know, they do need lives, eh? Ryou is a big ego wrapped up in his own self and Yami Bakura has control standards that Ryou doesn't stand in very well. I think they need some kinda job, that or a hobby….  
  
SHIROI YUKI: Believe me in more than on person's eye twitching, the apostrophe in people goes like this: "…peoples' eyes twitch." That's because it's more than one, kay? Hey, my eye twitches too! It actually because I were one contact, so I keep half winking al the time when my eye gets dry. I'm one of those freaks who get to wear a prescription monocle if I want. My friends look at me funny when I start blinking like that.  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: I know, I was surprised, I've never gotten 11 reviews for one chapter! I was kinda shocked, really…. ……………………So my story has what seems to you almost no OOCness? Well, thank you. I have a method that keeps all my characters' attitudes in check. I picture a character reading his reactions, thoughts, and dialogue aloud. If I can't picture it easily, then I know they've gone really OOC on me. You're review is proof that this works! Yay!  
  
NO NAME: Yami Bakura likes to drink? I wonder if he can take screwdrivers…. I don't like them. Maybe he'll take them off my hands? ……………………You know, some desperate alcoholics' drink mouthwash? I've seen my friend's dad do that. It was gross. That's why I hardly visit that certain friend's house. His parents have very addictive personalities.   
  
  
  
  
  
This is the next day of Yami Bakura. [After he wakes up.]  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 10: Tense   
  
  
Not bothering to be annoyed at his mortal laziness, Yami Ryou Bakura woke up. For the few moments after a long sleep were forgetfulness and zero concern reined, the Spirit was completely relived from the issue of his missing Hikari. Instead, he stared blankly at the ceiling, counting the little pinpricks in each individual tile. The counting soothed the anxiety that clawed at his mind and set winged creatures to his stomach. Through a hazy chain of thoughts, Bakura tried to rediscover the exact reason he was so tense. It was memory of the day before he just couldn't grasp in his half sleeping wake, no matter how wearily he tried. The Spirit kept up the slow search until the living room door opened.  
  
"Ryou?" a vaguely familiar voice asked. Yami Bakura knew who it was: Ryou's father!  
  
Suddenly, everything was thrown back into focus for the Fiend. He growled slightly as he remembered what Hell had broken loose on his daily life. It was like the memory had been hovering over him the entire time, falling back into the Spirit once something recognized from earlier broke through. The Fiend furrowed his brow slightly as he recalled the small, white haired Hikari that was currently on a vacation of unprivileged sorts.  
  
"Ryou, are you okay?" the man asked, truly worried.  
  
"Fine, Father, before you woke me up." He snapped lightly, imitating a mildly ticked Ryou. This meant he had to state he was greatly annoyed to make a point, but do so with a polite, gentle undertone, never harsh.   
  
Obviously this had taken the Fiend some time to master. Ryou had the strange talent of always being kind and timidly polite to people, even when provoked to mild frustration. In fact, Bakura had only once seen his Hikari blow up, and that was the night he ran out. Ryou had managed somehow to leave with dignity after an angry outburst. That was very hard to do, as the Yami had learned, having a short temper. When the Spirit argued violently, all pride turned against him as he tried to end the fight with the other foolishly stubborn moron. He'd finally put himself to shame by stuttering, losing balance, or shutting up and running away.  
  
"Oh, sorry, Ryou," the man apologized, backing out of the room.  
  
Frowning again, Bakura sat up on the thick couch. He could see his reflection in a mirrored wall fixture. Staring back at the Fiend was an angry glaring young man in serious need of a hairbrush. Slowly, the straight and scowling mouth opened.   
  
The Spirit started to yawn widely before the act even registered.  
  
Quickly, the Yami stopped, choking in mid breath. He glared at the reflection again closer. There were dark circles under his eyes and his white mane was even messier than ever before. This upset the Spirit. He shattered the mirror in an instant and leaned back on the couch. Angrily, he started counting the dots on the wall again.  
  
  
  
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Time passed almost too slowly.  
  
The Yami Ryou Bakura held his lighter up to the Millennium Ring. Slowly he brought the flame closer to the eye of Thoth in its center. He had a manic desire to destroy the item. All of his searching was of no more concern. Instead, the Fiend watched as the gold glimmered coldly meeting the fire.  
  
"OH BELEVOLENT RA!" the Fiend swore, dropping both objects hastily.  
  
The Spirit clutched his chest while a burning sensation pulsated painfully. He closed his eyes and winched. The fire-like thrill in his body throbbed once more from his heart before stopping entirely. Glaring, he picked up the lighter again, but this time he knew better. Like a child testing the infamous 'heat' from the stove for himself, the Daemon had learned trying to flame one's Millennium Item hurt.  
  
"Awe, Hell," he scowled, tossing the modern device across the room.  
  
The Spirit sat in silence. He listened for the boy's father in another room. Smirking, he ran stealthily across the house to the kitchen. He grabbed a meat mallet and ran at the door to Ryou's room with the weight to make sure it was strong. Smirking, he all but flew to the man's bedroom entrance. Stealthily, he crouched down and watched.  
  
The man had no easy resemblance to Ryou Bakura. His hair was darker, as was his skin. The boy's father had very dark hair, almost black. The Spirit found himself doubting even if the two were related. Even their eyes were different. Ryou's were blue and emotional, often troubled and depressed. The father's were brown and dull. The Fiend did not like the older man's eyes. He did not like the man period.  
  
The Fiend tensed, observing the mortal as he paced back and forth, reading texts on his desk and muttering to himself. This action, in it's normality yet uneasiness at some apparently trivial matter, frustrated the Spirit and provoking a need to attack. Did that man even realize his son had run away? Did he even realize now who was observing him with wrath?  
  
On a sudden impulse, the Yami rushed up behind the man. In one quick, fluid motion, he had knocked the mortal out with the meat hammer. A small yelp of fright erupted from the adult's throat before all consciousness was lost. The Fiend smirked and kicked the limp form once before leaving.  
  
No, that man was not like Ryou at all. Ryou knew when his must-be-respected Yami was around. The elder mortal was also easier to put out. But, of course, the boy had learned this code of behavior years before. The man was stupid enough, though, to not have picked it up.  
  
The Yami entered the ruined bedroom next. He eyed his Light's guitar warily. The Fiend grabbed one of the random knives he left on the floor. Slowly and patiently, he began to slice into the high E. It was easy; the string was just so thin. He hummed lightly to himself at the soft pluck of the taunt metal being successfully cleaved. The sound echoed the cruel attack quietly, like Ryou's metal state. It was amazing how Ryou and the guitar could be so alike!  
  
The Fiend moved on to the next string, closing his eyes as he felt the slight stretched cord. He plucked it lightly with the sharp side of knife's blade. He kept hitting the note harder and harder, closing his eyes so hard it hurt and his temples quivered. Finally the poor string gave to the abuse and twanged on last time before snapping.  
  
The Spirit opened his eyes, a small, faint headache coming in. He glared at the guitar. Ryou liked music. No, correction, Ryou _loved_ music. Bakura knew this; had known this, since he saw the boy strum a D cord in tempo following a G minor for the very first time. But, the Tomb Robber loathed the acoustic. It just sounded old and country western to him. In the Spirit's opinion, the hollow wooden club was not superior to anything, driving him crazy every time he heard his Hikari play it. It wasn't like Ryou messed up a lot anymore (the boy obviously erred being human an fallible, especially when he was beginning the instrument) it was just that the sound was so…homey, if that was the word. Yami Bakura couldn't stand the harmony and music that most people loved from the acoustic. The wonderful wooden sound ticked the Fiend off. The Yami didn't hate guitars in general, it was just the large ones didn't fit him well. Electric was okay, he could take the grating sound of distortion and boom of over amplified power cords. Why couldn't his Light play one of those interesting works of musical technology? Why didn't he even try? Maybe the he could steal the boy one and sell thing he was now mutilating. He could make Ryou have to learn electric to be able to play at all. At least it wouldn't be so woody.  
  
The Spirit smirked as he tried to get his knife's blade through low E, picturing his Hikari as a rock guitar player, all done up in a tuff little punk outfit. Or maybe Ryou in all black with dark makeup, tolling on some somber gothic ballad with the entire room dim save a bright blinding light on only the boy. What a lovely and unlikely thing to happen! The child's father would get rid of the anything new and mechanical before it could pass the door. The annoying man hated those kinds of things, Yami Bakura's nearly exact opposite on the matter.  
  
The Spirit quite smirking as he tried again the get his knife through low E. He growled at it, like that would help the string see it had to die. As he tried to separate the string, the Fiend noted how terribly thick it was. How in the fabled Kingdom of the West could a person with such tiny fingers as Ryou reach across the neck and hold the note down? It was simply a metal rope of sorts; that string. The fact that the knife at hand wasn't the sharpest that could have been collected, frustrated the Yami.  
  
Yami Bakura grunted and forced the knife blade up. After a few seconds of effort, the string slit, the Fiend nearly falling back from his force. He sat up and glared at the instrument. Three strings were hanging limply from their knobs: dead. He turned the instrument over and made scratches at the wood in hieratic. Hieroglyphics were just too lengthy to make a point. He remembered having to learn the few words and phrases he knew to help his thieving expeditions. Foreign merchants in the old days with no regard for religion always sent their orders for gold and trinket via scribe written letters. The Robber learned enough to understand the requests and how much the employers were willing to pay. He also learned the few phrases of insult he could ruin the pharaohs' graves and journey to the Kingdom of the West with. Some just employed him to break in and ruin the dead's afterlife. It got ridiculously high pay. Like the tombs, he wrote on the guitar. Vandalizing things you had yet to even want to own was fun.  
  
  
  
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The Fiend stared at the ceiling again from Ryou demolished bed. He didn't feel like leaving the small room or even getting off the bed. Something about the room drew him to it. The guitar lay in the corner, only three strings still taunt. The Fiend looked at the window. Blinds covered it. He almost went to open the block; he pictured sitting up and reaching over to pull back the cord that hindered his view of the outside world. Only, the Spirit didn't moved at all towards his goal, couldn't, didn't want to. He just watched the windows frame, pale white blinds mocking his laziness. The color made the Spirit remember Ryou's hair, his own hair, white and shocking. Their skin to, almost matching the locks with it's paleness as though no had ever told Ryou there was this big ball of gases called a 'sun', that shown during 'daytime', giving people a 'tan'.  
  
The Spirit furrowed his brow slightly, trying to remember when he had tan skin. He use to be very dark actually, as dark as Shadi. He could hardly believe it now; he'd grown used to the white everywhere. Nothing was very colorful about Ryou. Only his eyes weren't white (which would have looked rather shocking actually). No, the boy's eyes were a nice blue that could hold the Fiend imagination for long periods of time. The Yami liked to see how many emotions he could make it the deep wells, the scopes to his Hikari's mind. He tried to see how many of the expressions he could name: annoyance, joy, drowsiness, and confusion; which were only small amounts of what he saw. The eyes were amazing to observe, especially with such lovely paled thin brows accenting their every mood. The eyebrows could annoy him with a twitch, surprise him with furrowed concentration, anger him with a stubborn scowl, and tempt him by just being there and moving to Ryou speech or chain of thought. The boy had no idea that such a small feature could determine his treatment at the hands of his Dark. Things, tiny little things like that caught the Spirits attention easily.  
  
Suddenly, in the middle of his musings, it felt like the Spirit's stomach dropped, jumped out a window and failed in its suicide attempt. He groaned and curled into a fetal position till the pain stopped. Shaken he tried to relax again. It wasn't till he was trying to remember what he'd been thinking about when the fall went again. That time it lasted longer.  
  
There was a low rumble with the pain as it returned. In fact, it was like a growl.  
  
The Spirit scowled. Why exactly was he hungry? Before he could ponder the cause of his discomfort, there was another attack.  
  
Quickly, the Fiend rose and headed for the kitchen. He doubled over as he walked, straightening only to open the cabinet. He stared angrily at the food as if his pain was all a fault of the cans he observed.   
  
What was he supposed to consume? How was he supposed to open it anyway?  
  
He wished Ryou were there, he could make the boy prepare something. Ryou wasn't a bad cook when trying to get everything correct. The boy was a perfectionist when under pressure and hardly made mistakes. Now though, the Light was gone. Gone far to gods know where.  
  
The Spirit sat at the table, ignoring his stomach's agony. He was again distracted by thoughts of his Hikari. The worry hit him as he stomach ceased it's falling. Suddenly, the Fiend didn't want to eat though he was hungry. He felt in his anxiety he would not be able to keep anything down. Where exactly was that stupid boy? Slowly, he tried to calm down and think.  
  
Of course it was obvious he was gone, but Ryou would come back; Ryou always came back. He was weak; he needed to return for his own good: his low self-esteem. The boy could never really be gone, it had only been a day and two nights, there was no reason to worry. Pathetic little Hikari Ryou would return, crying and scared, he'd come crawling back.   
  
The Fiend, he'd laugh when the little one reappeared, terrified of the world outside his own and begging for things to return to normal. That was how the child was, the Spirit knew. All he had to do was wait; it was just a matter of time. He could live with his pain till the father woke up and made dinner. At the moment, he thought about what horrible things might be happening to his Hikari. Ryou running away may have been a good thing. The boy would see the other people out there, get hurt, come back crying, and never leave again.  
  
Ryou gone suddenly wasn't so bad. I fact, it was the best thing that could have established the Yami's dominance over the Hikari.  
  
Like that old warning the Spirit had hear mothers scowling their children with. It's all fun till someone gets hurt. Yes…well, then it's funny.  
  
The Yami Bakura though this act was downright hilarious.   
  
  
  
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Yami Ryou Bakura is going heartless, eh? That or he's gone insane. Don't worry about my lack of Ryou chapters though; the next two are one that white haired freak. The second one is as long or longer than that chapter three [which was _long]_. I don't usually type such long chapters, but it a long, probably two weeks, away, three at the longest that long chapter will be up. *gets arrested for overuse of the word long*  
  
Damn, 11 reviews for one chapter! That's the record for the entire penname A Laugh That Is Evil and a record me myself. This fic is going to have roughly around 18 chapters [cause I'm very descriptive] and will soundly kick my other co-written fic "Sorry For You, Hikari of Yami Bakura's" ass! Shoot, that story didn't reach 100 till chapter 20 something and mine is on 9! That's like, slightly over 10 reviews a chapter. I suppose if I gave up on this [like didn't have a plot or lost interest] all those reviewers would have something to say, eh? Ya'll don't know how glad I am now that I actually have a plan for this fic written out entirely in shorthand notebooks [I don't add detail till I start typing]. This story is already entirely planned and the only things that will keep me from updates are reviews and laziness. Ain't that great to know?  
  
Okay, I still want to request a certain amount of reviews, okay? Since ya'll were so good about that last week, I'm only asking for six. See, with so many readers, ya'll just blow on past that number!  
  
Hey, I didn't ask a question last week. This doesn't mean I'll give you all two. I'll just stay with one since I can't think that much. Here, I'll start it off with quotes:  
  
"The early bird gets the worm but look what happens to the early worm." - Alfred E. Newman  
  
"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." - Jon Hammond  
  
So, who really does have the most fun, eh? Is it the procrastinators or the people who really try?  
  
[I will put up my answer to this ^^^^^^^ question next week]  
  
  
  
FYI: The Latin phrase _'Musica excitat animum'_ means "Music Uplifts the Soul".  



	11. Chapter 11: Charismatic

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.   
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: [review #1]: " 'Angst, shounen-ai, AND bishounen ...*sighs* A perfect world.' "-tell Ryou that…. ^_^U. …………….Don't worry about long reviews, I like reading them. Some reviews are so short, you wouldn't believe it! In fact, for last chapter one review was, I quote "add new chapter". I dislike short reviews, actually; I hate short reviews, and they're soo hard to reply to. …………………..FF.net let me know I was in your favs! [but not so for poor Draggy, I'm in her fav stories AND authors]. …………I do really try to update once a week around Friday-Sunday. For the last fic I co-wrote I told the readers to just look for new chapters every Monday. FF.net had them up by then.  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: [review #2]: It was in the bathroom you thought you figured out my plot? Okay… nice…. Well, the Yami and Hikari aren't exactly switching. Ryou stays nice little Ryou with a new insane edge he can't control [tapped into this chapter]. It's more like a swap in Power, not personality. It's explained in chapter 15, I think. At the moment, the notebook I am typing from is chapters 1-13 and I know the explanation theory and the end of this fic are in the next notebook I have in my dresser, waiting. …………..Ryou and Yami get back together for…a while…. I don't know about my infamous little sequel, though. …………………I never thought I could write shounen-ai with a plot either. The first two chapters of this fic didn't have much of a plot till the songfic chapter, where a slight idea came to me. Then, over Christmas when my computer broke and I had to go on vacation, I was able to make a real plot. I finished the skeleton of this entire story almost two weeks ago. Now I'm trying to find a good idea for my sequel. This fic kinda…hehehe…cuts off…. I'm planning on making Jounounchi a bigger character there [he's hardly in this fic]. Go me!  
  
DAUGHTEROFDEATH: Okay, here is the next chapter-don't say thank you or anything…. There was something primitive and cold about your review that made me laugh.  
  
SEISHOMURU: Don't worry, my computer dies all the time and does a great job at ticking off reviewers because I can't update.  
  
JADEYUY: You and lots of other people like this fic. You and lots of other people want this story to keep going.  
  
CHEESEPUFF: Yami Bakura isn't exactly turning mortal, he's just felling a bit, less powerful. *tries in vain to think of how to explain her idea* Awe, well, just wait till chapter 15 of 16 [I forget which], it will be cleared up around there in a nice big info dump, kay? I don't want to give away too much till ya'll get there.  
  
NO NAME: Nope, I haven't gone on any type of vacation. I get to sit in the flat alone for nine hours listening to CDs and playing guitar. It. Gets. Boring. I played so long I accidentally cut myself on tiny little high E. My finger didn't stop bleeding for what must have been well on thirty minutes. I have all sorts of spare time now. I think I'll get around to my sequel. I have the first chapter to that planned already, yay! And I can tell you truthfully; Yami Bakura and Ryou will meet in the next chapter. Good? Good!  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Don't you dare set Yami Bak[a]ura straight! That would devastate poor little Ryou since he can't have a girlfriend [you find out this chapter, it's mentioned]. ……………Hey, ya know, why I read the word "Baka" I think, Bakura because of the insult '_bakatare_' [which is baka: stupid].  
  
YAMI KRISSY: Fun to read, eh? Well, some of my future chapters are actually quite funny. I haven't grown out of when I used to write humor fics, and I love putting funnies all over the place.  
  
  
  
  
This is Ryou's agony. [Insert maniacal laughter] You'd think this chapter would be titled 'Fag' you see, the word is used so often.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 11: Charismatic  
  
  
"Well, if it ain't little Ryou Bakura…" a voice sneered.  
  
Ryou looked up wearily to see a small group of snickering idiots before him. He tried to find which had spoken, but failed. The gang of four looked down on him with an expression that was, or greatly akin to, loathing. In his current state of fatigue, all Ryou could do was gulp and stare back nervously. He recognized one of the faces, but couldn't remember exactly where he'd seen it. Everything was too hazy.  
  
The entire group was glaring at him. Ryou tried to remember how exactly he had wronged the guys. He was lifted to his feet by two un-godly strong ape-men. He wonder faintly it Darwin really had been terribly wrong about that whole evolution theory, that modern man and primitive man where actually two different species. That or one group was really from outer space.  
  
The two supports let go, and much to the opposite of what he wanted to do, Ryou's knees gave out and he promptly collapsed to the ground in a quivering heap.  
  
"I swear ya'll, the dude's a fag. He, like, told me so 'emself," a voice Ryou faintly recognized informed the others.  
  
"You a fag, Fag?" another voice challenged. It was accompanied by a kick in the ribs.   
  
Ryou didn't look up. Who were those people? Did he know them from some terrible past life they recalled and he didn't? He stared at the ground. If that was so, it was extremely unfair.  
  
"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Fag," the voice that kicked him snapped at his prey's defiance. Ryou wondered who the moron was with such a sadly limited vocabulary. Was that his only and worst insult? Pathetic….  
  
Another kick knocked Ryou hard in the head. He finally looked up. He still didn't watch the attacker; he searched for the waiter from the club.  
  
"What, did I forget to tip you for doing nothing?" he asked the idiot.  
  
A cloud of clueless thoughts passed over the oily face as he tried to register what Ryou had just said. The expression was soon glowering. The fool motioned to a man Ryou thought he'd seen before. Instantly the two larger ape-men pinned the small boy down with his hands behind his back. It was hardly necessary and angered Ryou.  
  
"Ya not in da position ta be insultin' no one," the table washer informed Ryou.  
  
The white haired boy raised a thin eyebrow at this, "I feel sorry for your grammar teacher. She obviously can't teach against double negatives," he informed the idiot.  
  
The waiter looked severely confused again. The tall one Ryou thought he had seen before elbowed his ally in the side.  
  
"Dude, you aren't gonna let that kid talk to you like that?"  
  
"What, did I insult your mother?" Ryou muttered. The apes heard this had twisted his arms the wrong direction. The boy fought an embarrassing yelp.  
  
If someone had had the chance to ask Ryou what the Hell he was smoking that day, he wouldn't have been able to answer. It they asked him what he was thinking, he would have to consider just _what_ was running through his mind. In fact, a certain reckless urge had come over the boy. He just didn't care what was going to happen to him in the moment. Ryou didn't care that he'd regret it later; just that they'd kill him off and he wouldn't have to worry. The obvious danger of provoking the primitive morons was suddenly very tempting to the boy. It didn't matter if they beat him to a bloody pulp as a dark, temporary madness covered his reasoning, processing all his outward thoughts to insane revelations. Death no longer existed as something to fear, but welcome with opened arms and a peck on the cheek. Once dieing was not a concern, there was really nothing to get on your soapbox of utter hysteria for.  
  
Ryou had reached this brink of insanity a few times before after he'd first become connected to the Ring and it never lasted forever. He found he loved the clearness of it: making your own easy to understand reality and throwing the original out for a while. Ryou remembered what the Yami Bakura had replied once when asked if he had gone insane. He said that going crazy was fun, staying crazy was funny, and dieing crazy was down right hilarious. Everything to the Spirit was something to laugh at; he had zero respect for everyone. Ryou had no idea why he was thinking about this.  
  
"I don't very much like you," the guy Ryou thought he recognized informed him.  
  
Oh, like _that_ wasn't obvious already!  
  
The man kicked him in the forehead, hard. Ryou's eyesight blanked out for a few seconds as his head went back from the force. Someone grabbed his hair and kept his face from falling back to the ground. Ryou's rapidly diminishing conscious was pushed to the extent, grasping the outside world by thin, snapping threads. The apes pulled Ryou by his hair and arms to a kneeling position. He looked up at the waiter and the mystery face that he knew he'd seen somewhere.  
  
"So, Fag, you're gonna break all those little girls hearts, hmm? Why did you have to walk in and form so many major crushes? Lot's of people saw you with Selina and Adrienne, even if you were trying to be invisible. My girlfriend wouldn't shut up about how charming you were. Personally, I don't think it's very charismatic to stare at the ground and scuffle your feet, but then I didn't have that kind of opinion on other guys because I'm not like you."   
  
Ryou just blinked at him. Was that what this was all about? He wasn't gay, just in love with his Yami who just happened to be a guy. He didn't critique other males or anything. Ryou wasn't really of that swing when it came to other people. He didn't look at anyone that way because he knew it was hopeless. The first and last girlfriend he ever had was sent to the Shadow Realm. That made relationships lethal for the other person, so Ryou went for the on being he knew his Yami couldn't destroy, the Fiend himself. That brilliant idea had also gone downhill though.   
  
"Where your boyfriend, Fag?" the tall familiar man spat.  
  
Ryou already knew now where he'd seen the guy before. He was in the group of people Selina had introduced him to. Ryou found he suddenly hated Selina and all her little devoted minions. He could have gone to Anzu's house if he really wanted to be annoyed out of his reasoning. Now he had all these new enemies just for walking with a group he hardly knew.  
  
"Well, where? Answer me, Fag!" the guy ordered.  
  
Ryou made a pathetic yelp even he was ashamed of as his arms were twisted in entirely the wrong directions behind him. This was apparently to emphasize the speed they wished him to answer.  
  
"I don't know," he responded, scowling himself for how pleading he sounded.  
  
"Good, than I guess he don't either," the man smirked, pulling a fist back and punching Ryou's face.  
  
The frail boy nearly blacked out again. Everything was white for a few seconds. He tried to look through it to the hazy shapes of the group. Like a slow fog, it cleared. When it was gone, reality attacked as well.  
  
This ended the insanity of not caring about himself.  
  
Suddenly, Ryou realized just how much danger he was in. His insides knotted and he paled. How angry was the punk before him anyway? How far was he going to go? Ryou quickly realized he did not want to die. No one really wants to die. You cannot care, but come on. Suicidal persons did not really desire their death; they just felt entitled to the end because they were no longer needed. They are willing, but they don't truly want it, not for real, even though they say otherwise at times.  
  
Ryou looked nervously into the other face. He gulped in silent fear.  
  
There was a murderous light in the man's eye. Ryou wondered if he was drunk. The boy was scared of what would happen next. He was terrified of the guy before him. He could only watch as another blow headed at his face. He felt it connect with his skull.  
  
Sickly, the world spun around twice and turned upside down. The strength in Ryou's knees gave and he went limp before another fist crushed into his stomach. Like the all too true cliché stated, everything went black.  
  
  
  
*===*===*===*===*  
  
Since all the reviewers are so wonderful, I put this chapter up _extremely_ early. I got seven reviews in one day! [I still can't get over all these reviews]. Also, the next chapter may be late because I wrote it too fast and am having trouble reading my own handwriting [sad, I know]. So, since I asked for six reviews and now there are nine, I can update! Yay!  
  
Next chapter is supposed to be pretty long, so, hehe, y'all can read this short bit that leads to it. Now you get to have these two nice chapters if you're on spring break. And those people on vacation can come back to two chapters! See, I wonderful! I'm bored! I'm gonna type my way through vacation time! Yay!  
  
I am not a procrastinator when I can help it. Usually I can get others to do the work so there's nothing to procrastinate [yeah, I'm a bitch, I know, but a great writing bitch]. The Evil Laugh procrastinates so much I bet she'll establish it as a religion. That's why she hasn't put up the last chapter to the fic I co-write with her. She keeps putting everything off till the next week. I do not, as you can see with all my lovely updates.  
  
Since this is so soon after the next chapter, there will be no questions. I will, however request seven reviews, okay? Seven! I still want reviews, hehehe, yeah.  



	12. Chapter 12: Home

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
KEMU: Look, I typed real fast and now I have this chapter up by Sunday! Yay! I'm getting really distracted, if this fic didn't have so many reviews I wouldn't be updating so much!  
  
ALLENBY: Yuugi annoys me a bit, but not as much as Yami. Procrastination is fun!  
  
BALZE THE RAGING WEREWOLF: I don't usually procrastinate fanfics so I have very little to worry about. If I get less that four reviews for the first chapter though, I stop unless it's Mediaminer.org. And you burned off Yami B's eyebrow? Ouch?  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: I love your long reviews. I was going to E-mail you, but I didn't go on the Internet all week. I'm thinking of yet another fic now as I have finished this one and just have to add details. There is more info on that at the end of this chapter. If you let me E-mail you, then I'd be able to send all these nice little wannabe fics. I already have two people I send ideas to who tell me if I should work on them. That's actually the only reason I published "Stigmatized", I gave the first chapter to my Yugioh obsessed friend and now she likes shounen-ai. Sry for typos. I'm trying real fast to get this out in time; I wasn't planning on updating this week.  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Yes, Ryou does seem a little...insane, hm? I do that a lot to him in my fics [and I find I have yet to tire of repeating this style for his character]  
  
JAJYUY: No, there was no sarcasm in my last reply-none, none at all!  
  
NONAME: I don't even understand your reviews anymore.  
  
CHEESEPUFF: Yes, I'm great about posting and I wasn't planning to this week so there are about a million grammar errors.  
  
VEGETASGIRL: I love spring break too! I wrote an entire fic I haven't published during it! [More info in end of chapter] I stayed up and broke my curfew typing this chapter, so hey, I'm okay. Spring break ends for me tomorrow.  
  
NO NAME: You sound like a professional fanfic reader. You always go, 'for us readers' and I'm like wow, good to know all those readers out there are happy, especially since I love reviews. I wasn't going to update this week, but so many people where going to be disappointed!  
  
KITSUNEDREAMS: Don't dis your fic unless you have a good reason or no reviews. That's my motto, so I guess I can't put down any of my own fics. ........So I guess you want to be called.Kit? Yay!  
  
This is where Ryou FINALLY GOES BACK TO YAMI BAKURA! Yay!  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 12: Home  
  
Ryou opened his eyes wearily at the small light of afternoon in the cloudy city. Sunbeams were refracting off of the shiny rusting metal objects. It filled his view of the once dark alleyway.  
  
Slowly Ryou rose, leaning heavily against the wall. He could see his reflection in the large metal structures around him randomly. His vision was hazy and misted. There was a red blur in the unclear image of his face that led from his noose.  
  
Blood. Before he tried to leave, he'd have to get rid of that.  
  
Ryou felt his pockets for anything. In his shirt he found a napkin. It was quite large with writing all over it. It was words to a song: Adrienne. Carefully he skimmed the verses. It wasn't much. The melody and cords at the bottom made no sense whatsoever to him. The boy didn't like the lyrics at all; they were just stupid. It was amateur ignorance on something that couldn't, shouldn't be put to words.  
  
Ryou looked up and around for water. He needed to get rid of the blood before he went anywhere. Quickly, he located a faucet a few feet away. He threw the napkin aside and eased towards the spout. After a few seconds trying to get the pressure bearable, Ryou placed his cupped hands under the strong stream of water. He splashed it on his face and hair and rubbed the dried blood away.  
  
After turning off the spout, Ryou turned to the napkin again. He observed it once more before taking the paper and drying his face with it. When he was done, the writing was only smears on pulp. He tossed the lump aside and tried to walk to the street.  
  
Ryou soon discovered it hurt terribly to take more than a few steps. Carefully, slowly, he tried to walk till he could ignore the stress and pain. When the boy reached the larger street, he had to shield his eyes from the brighter sun with a free hand. He surveyed the area and realized he was in a part of downtown Domino leaning against some restaurant Jounounchi had once told him about. The blonde boy didn't live too far from where Ryou now stood, neither did that Gabe fellow Selina had introduce him to. In fact, Gabe was closer, but Ryou decided he wanted to go to Jounounchi's instead.  
  
Ryou made his way down the sidewalk carefully. He stumbled a few times, but never entirely fell, which was a good thing, proving he could make some effort at travel. Of course, he never took a hand from the wall as well.  
  
Close to Gabe's Ryou started to feel ill. He hurried to the larger man's house instead of Jounounchi's. The pale boy wanted to get off the street soon.  
  
When he entered, Ryou heard Adrienne and Selina. He would have turned and run, but it was too much of an effort. Thankfully, they were in another room. He snuck past their conversation unnoticed as the two idiots were fighting over which had a certain bracelet. He wondered with such horrible issues how the girls ever woke up in the morning!  
  
Silently Ryou crept up to his former bedroom, very glad the others present had fail to notice he was about again. He lay down in the bed exhausted and fell asleep.  
  
*===*===*===*===*  
  
Ryou woke up as it was getting late. He looked around the small Hell that was Gabe's. There was a very loud noise outside of someone's motorbike pulling up and revving its engine. Inside the house a voice yelled a few choice insults in greeting. There where many people downstairs, all getting ready for a promising party.  
  
Ryou sighed and sat up, looking around in the fading light from outside. He could not see the sunset from his cell window, just the building next door. He'd probably missed it already anyway. It was now just evening, creeping into night, one of the most depressing times of the day.  
  
Well, depressing for most people like Ryou. Down below folks were shouting and enjoying themselves to an almost insane degree. He listened vaguely to their foul language and rude suggestions. It was quite the primitive celebration making him question just how far man had really evolved. Adrienne's voice rang high above the rest and Ryou covered his ears.  
  
"Look, we have to like, find a place for these coats," Ryou heard the annoying voice of Selina inform down the hall. She was upstairs with a massive person that sounded like Gabe.  
  
Ryou closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness passed over him. His head throbbed moronically in his conscious. It hurt to even think.  
  
"Maybe there," Gabe suggested.  
  
"Anywhere, I'm just tired of holding up all this crap," another voice complained. Ryou tensed. It was the guy who cornered him in the ally.  
  
"Watch your mouth, Tony," Selina scowled. Ryou waited nervously. His name was Tony, uh, great.  
  
The footsteps moved towards a nearby door-and passed it. Slowly the knob to his room turned and the boy held his breath where he sat on the bed. He didn't move; he was too frightened. There was nowhere to go, not even a closet. Tony was on the other side of that door, and his goons were probably all downstairs partying. Ryou was scared to meet the group again; horrified at the idea he might try to defy them. He was worried that he'd recklessly hurt himself once more by angering the ape-men and didn't understand why he had in the first place.  
  
"We'll just put them on the-oh," Selina started coming in and switching on the lights.  
  
"What is it?" Tony asked  
  
"Ryou, is that you?" she questioned, though it was quite obvious.  
  
Ryou looked up at her. She was standing shocked in the doorway, several coats lain over her arm. Behind her where Gabe holding nothing and the devil with so many garments that he had to turn to see what was going on, a malicious glare on his face. Ryou don't look at him long, turning his glaze to Selina's coats.  
  
"Wait a sec while I put these up," she ordered, rushing to another room to put the coats up and coming back before Ryou could even think about running.  
  
"What ever you do," he muttered, winching at his terrible head pain, "Don't get Adrienne."  
  
Selina looked at him confused with a face that read 'huh?' in every obvious aspect of the expression. That was just what she had been planning to do.  
  
"I don't like her," he informed at the girls bewilderment.  
  
Selina's smile dropped slightly in disappointment. Gabe smirked while Tony just watched Ryou like the other boy had escaped a federal prison.  
  
"Like Ryou, where did you go yesterday?" she asked, "And like, who was that guy?"  
  
Ryou could tell by her tone that she though a lot of 'that guy'.  
  
"Malik Ishtar," he answered her second question.  
  
"Where did ya'll go? You like, walked out so very rudely on us with out saying anything. It wasn't polite, we like didn't know where you were going." She pouted.  
  
Ryou cringed slightly. He patience was nearly torn. It was hard to have to be polite to the people he loathed completely; who caused him so much pain. Ryou wanted very badly to be with his other group; to be with Yuugi, Anzu, Jounounchi, and Honda. The airheads before him were just to caught up in themselves and pretty things that caught their eyes.  
  
"Well, Ryou, why didn't you tell us?" she asked again.  
  
"Later," he groaned as she tried to sit next to him. He shot across the bed quickly to the other side. Tony's fists twitched at this and Ryou stopped.  
  
Selina's mouth pinched to a straight line at his rebuttal to her approach.  
  
"Ryou, it was like, weird when you left with that guy. Your eyes like glazed over or something; fogged up. We were all freaked. Then you follow him out of the arcade like some mindless zombie." She scowled him.  
  
"Oh, that's-that's great," he replied, looking at the floor.  
  
"Are you even like, listening to me?" she asked.  
  
"No," Ryou answered truthfully. She gasped at him offended.  
  
"Well, Ryou!" she announced in surprise, "Here I'm like trying to see what's wrong and what happened yesterday and you are like, being so difficult! What messed you up?"  
  
She grabbed his arm and Ryou pulled back in terror. He acted on some sudden impulse and slapped her hard across the face. She screamed and released the bruised skin, making it visible to everyone else on the small room.  
  
Tony attacked. He let out a terrible roar and leapt at the bed where Ryou was. The white haired boy dodged him and hit the floor, crawling as fast as he could away. Gabe came to his rescue, grabbing Tony's arms behind him. He watched Ryou in surprise.  
  
Quickly Ryou shot up and ran to the door. He collided with Adrienne and fell back.  
  
"Sorry, didn't see-Ryou?" she asked. He rose up and rushed past her, Selina screaming for him to stop, that she was sorry he was hurt.  
  
Like some ragamuffin in the crowded streets of a big city, he made his way at high speeds through the party. A few people tried to stop him as he ran at Selina's insistence and Ryou ended up biting the last one.  
  
Ryou made it onto the street in ample time, ignoring the pain in his legs. No thought hit him past getting the Hell away from the large house. He stumbled, picked himself up, and kept going; stumbled, picked himself up, and kept going. It wasn't long before he actually reached his own house leaving all the confusion behind. All he wanted to do was get inside and sleep in a bed, a good real bed.  
  
The door was locked, like it should have been. Ryou smiled at this but was also slightly annoyed. Inside past the locked barrier was home. He rang the bell, listening for sounds of pursuit. There where footsteps behind him and he turned to see what it was.  
  
The street was empty, but he had thought he hear noises. It was nothing: no one following. He was pulled into the house roughly before he could turn back around.  
  
"Where were you, you Idiot?" the Fiend greeted him.  
  
/ Nice to meet you too / he thought sarcastically.  
  
Ryou felt a rope forced over his head: the Millennium Ring. He couldn't see it, the house was too dark.  
  
"Yami?" he asked quietly.  
  
There was no reply, but the Daemon's mouth was soon to his Light's. Ryou felt the long tongue force itself into him, down his throat in its energy. He couldn't breathe and his gagging reflex caused him to start choking into the Spirit. He felt he was going to pass out before it stopped.  
  
The Fiend broke away again and held the boy close. Ryou face was practically smothered in the fabric of the Spirit's shirt. He closed his eyes painfully. It hurt physically as the as the Spirit stroked his long white hair, nearly pulling out. It was as if the Yami was trying to make sure his Hikari was really there.  
  
"You don't leave," he commanded menacingly.  
  
"Why?" Ryou muttered, his mind still not able to go past pain.  
  
"I'll make you wish you were never born, fool."  
  
Ryou felt the Spirit place his mouth on the skin of his neck, attacking him. It hurt and it was evil to the boy. He reached for the wall and turned the lights on. His dark growled and pulled away.  
  
"Who did you let hurt you? You're my Hikari, no one else is in charge!" the daemon inquired violently. He grabbed Ryou's arm and twisted it behind him, forcing a yelp from the child.  
  
"Oh my God," a voice breathed outside. The Fiend quickly dropped his prey and rushed out the door.  
  
Ryou hit the ground hard, his head striking a low table. Feeling ill, he pulled himself up and into a chair. The Spirit soon returned with none other than the infamous Tony. He brought the young man right up to Ryou, arms pinned behind him.  
  
"Who is this?" he hissed.  
  
Ryou looked at the boy sorrowfully. He shouldn't have followed.  
  
/ I don't care, Yami / he replied mentally.  
  
"Well, who is he?" the Find growled, twisting Tony's wrist's harshly.  
  
/ I don't care / Ryou answered again.  
  
"Answer me!" the Spirit yelled. Tony cried out in even more pain.  
  
"Can't you hear me?" Ryou asked, "I'm telling you mentally I don't care."  
  
"But I can't hear you," the Yami mused, loosening his grip slightly.  
  
There was silence for a few seconds.  
  
"Did you get that?" the Spirit asked.  
  
"Did you say anything?" Ryou answered nervously.  
  
"Oh, Ra!" the Yami scowled, throwing Tony into the hall closet and locking it.  
  
Ryou grabbed his Ring and felt it frantically, screaming nonsense through his mental link. His dark's expression never changed.  
  
"It's cold," he remarked, looking at it.  
  
"Damn," the Spirit muttered as Ryou finally passed out.  
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*  
Wow, 3 reviews in one hour! I can't believe it!  
  
I wasn't planning on updating this week, so thank me and forgive all the errors. I have limited time on the computer and tried the best I could to finish this little bit for all my great reviewers!  
  
Sorry this chapter came out so splendidly terrible, but I've been distracted all week. I actually type fast when I have school. During spring break though, I typed an ENITRE RYOU/SETO fic, that I haven't published yet, so hey! Even I think it [the fic I've worked on] was pretty good, so don't yell at me about updates! I'll get around to it, I know what I'm doing, and if it takes a while, I just get more reviewers reviewing and complaining about my laziness.  
  
My acoustic guitar also broke! I took it to the shop finally and am getting it fixed quite cheap. FIFTY DOLLARS. That is not much for where I live; believe me. I got the repair guy through word of mouth and I've seen his work on my instructor's Gibson. So I've been stressing over this. Two weeks till my instrument returns to me! I miss it already. Till then, I have my Epiphone [an electric guitar], so it's not like I've lost everything for two weeks.  
  
Well, read and review. I want over seven reviews, okay?  
  
HERE IS MY QUESTION:  
  
Should I publish another fic? It's completely done, so I won't be forgetting this story. Here's my summary:  
  
Summary: Ryou agrees to baby-sit Mokuba Kaiba and finds out a secret about Seto. Ryou agrees to help Seto win his love over, but what happens when Ryou realizes he made one big mistake and falls for Kaiba? He'll get over it, right?  
  
Here an excerpt to help you decide [or just advertise the fic]:  
  
"Okay, I 'm officially weirded out. I'm considering jumping around the room and screaming. Hollering about lobsters and bipolar CEOs, about being forced to ride on someone's shoulder forever (what, so I'm traumatized for life) and sitting through dull one-sided conversations. I read about a boy who somehow got the notion that eating utensils had feelings. He would try to eat his long noodles without banging his teeth against the chopsticks. Very difficult, I tried after I read it. What would it look like to all the patrons if I started ranting about crafty daemon lobsters with crooked ways? About how hard it was to consume food without having your teeth scraping your eating devices? I doubt they'd be very thrilled. If those people had wanted to see a freak show, they would have gotten dinner at the circus."  
  
Well should I? It's in Ryou POV and purposively funny. Please let me know, you're opinion counts. Ya know, if one person says 'sure go ahead' I'll publish it or give them the first chapter to read. Heck, I might just publish it anyway. I still want you people's opinion because I'm trying to write a fic that will also beat this one. I want to keep challenging myself on these kinds of things like fan fiction. I write serious stories and humor, and this is where I'm going to make them run together at very high speeds to form a new style for me.  
  
There if you read all that, whoa! You've probably forgotten how many reviews I want. Okay, seven. I want seven reviews. Okay?  
  
Thank you! 


	13. Chapter 13: Don't Touch Ryou

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.   
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
RAIN STYORMZ: Wow, someone defined infamy. I was wondering if anyone was actually going to do that.  
  
RAIN STYORMZ: Wow, you reviewed a lot. Now the fic is one 140 reviews. Yay!  
  
RAIN STRORMZ: I know you're PharonicProphesyPeacefulRa. I read the similar name in your bio before you changed it (yes, I read author bios). Belevolent IS NOT A WORD! Oh no! I had a spelling err. Oh well, too late to worry about it now. Benevolent is the word.   
  
SHADOW HAWK: I did publish my new fic! Yay! Sorry I didn't update soon.  
  
ESCURO DE LA LUS: I can never make Yami Bakura gushy and sentimental. This fic doesn't even end happily ever after. I figure, hey we all love Yami Bakura because he daemonic and twisted. Why mess up a good thing for the guy?……………….And yes, I would advertise your site if my computer would let me. The address never shows up when I read my chapter preview and I don't know why. But I visited the site [go me!] and it's quite nice. Anime site though the gallery is full of Yu-Gi-Oh pics, awesome! [I'm easily amused] I was going to make a Yu-Gi-Oh site [I already have one for some local music groups], but my stupid scanner busted, so that plan has been delayed for me.  
  
VEGETASGURL: I posted the fic! Go me. I will finish this story.  
  
KEMU: I'm not done with Tony yet. That moron will be so sorry he messed with Ryou. Yami Bakura is very protective of what he 'owns'. If Ryou had gone the Jou's he would have left real fast due to Jounounchi's father. I actually wrote a bit of that, but it turned to Gabe's instead. I wanted to lock Tony in the closet so very badly.  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: I know, what is wrong with Yami Bakura? He should be nicer. Maybe I should make him sweet and lovie dubbie? Okay, no. He'll be evil forever.  
  
CHEESEPUFF: I didn't at more in what you may call soon, but there's a reason for this.  
  
BEHOLDER OF THE SHADOWS: Yes, I made a new fic! Here's my update for this one, which was supposed to go up last week. Hehe, seeing as that didn't happen, here, read!  
  
YAMI KRISSY: Here is MORE, MORE, MORE, MORE!  
  
NO NAME: Wow, so people reading behind you love my fics too? I feel so special now! My Ryou/Seto idea is weird, but so was this fics. Hey, it just might work! Yay!  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: My computer has done that! It was in the beginning of my "Sorry for You…" fic. My school also has some computers sans any mouse. They have these big keyboards with every command imaginable on them. I severely detest those machines since I can't get anywhere in the class time of and hour. I love my mouse even though it was once cut off my computer, was dropped on the motorway while I was moving stuff from my grandma's (my brother picked it up as he travelled, driving behind us on his motorbike)………………………So I'm godlike? Yes, a god with and E-mail account, wow! I never thought any less of myself! [j/k] I'm not the exact centre of my universe.  
  
DRAGGY: Yes, it is my life goal to provide wonderful stories for the public to enjoy and review. I'm glad you like this fic. I don't know what the Hell is going on with T.E.L., she was studying for tests, but now they are done and she's doing…something. I don't know, but I'm having trouble getting in touch with her. All she gave me was the update to her short chaptered humor fic [something about Ryou in school], which I'm updating today. I might just go write the last chapter to "Sorry for You…"all by myself.  
  
  
This is where Ryou meets Malik and spaces out, a lot.  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 13: Don't Touch Ryou  
  
  
Ryou woke up in the same chair he had dropped off in hours before. His oh-so-caring Yami had not bothered to move him at all or even shift the boy's form to a less strenuous angle.  
  
Ryou didn't get it entirely. He was home again and it was so terribly like nothing had ever happened. It seemed he had never left.  
  
Indeed, when he first awoke he had forgotten for a time the last few nights.  
  
Ryou sighed in mild frustration at all this idiocy he dwelled within. Slowly he rose; or more as in he tried to. His young body was unbelievably tired. The legs that had carried him up and down town at frightening speeds before where now too weak to do anything, much less lift Ryou's weight.  
  
/ Yami? / he inquired mentally, forgetting it was futile.  
  
He'd slapped his forehead if it didn't hurt so much to move. The Ring was seemingly useless now, no more than a hard piece of nice looking metal. Ryou looked down at it. The item glimmered slightly in the light that filled the daytime house. Of course, the electric bulbs were pointlessly on as well. Yami Bakura hadn't bothered to turn them off.  
  
Why did the item no longer work? Had something happened to devastate it when formerly removed by Ryou before taking an apparently nonexistent exit? Had the rejection of the pendant yet the will to let the Spirit survive been so irrational to rattle a Sennen Item? Maybe the thing had simply turned off or something of a similar nature for a while to state some mysterious point. Did this affect the Spirit personally, being so closely bound to the Ring?  
  
The boy knew he wouldn't know anything till the Fiend came home.  
  
Ryou listened silently as the front door opened. He turned his head to it, quickly regretting the movement as his bruised neck tried to jam in opposition. Nausea filled his mixed brain. He stomach did a sickening twist.  
  
Malik Ishtar was soon next to him.  
  
"Ryou, are you okay? What happened? Where were you yesterday?" he asked calmly.  
  
Ryou sighed and turned his head back forward. He closed his eyes slowly and avoided the questions. Malik simply watched him, not expecting a word. He didn't speak again till there was a dull thud from the hall.  
  
"Is there something in the closet, Ryou?"  
  
Ryou looked at the door and gave a slight effort to listen. Before a headache rushed in, he recognized the sound of a body moving wearily.  
  
"Tony is still in there?" he muttered before realizing what this meant. The young man had been locked up all night.  
  
"Malik, get him out of there!" he ordered before is voice cracked weakly.  
  
The Ishtar quickly crossed the room and unlocked the door. Sure enough, there was Tony, hunched in the small enclose.  
  
"Don't let him run," Ryou called loud enough before the prisoner could make a break for it.  
  
"LET ME GO!" Tony yelled, struggling to get out of the blonde haired Egyptian's grasp.  
  
Ryou watched him, only half aware of what was going on. Tony had hurt him. Only his Dark had the authority to do that whenever and not be punished. Tony wasn't the Spirit.  
  
"Lock him back up. Well wait for mou hitori no boku," he condemned the large captive coldly.  
  
"WHAT?" Tony yelled again, "NOT THE MANIC!"  
  
"You make it sound like a bad thing," Malik crooned mockingly, "Are you really that bothered by the mentally unstable?"  
  
Tony face became paler. He tried again, with no avail, to break free.  
  
"Want me to let him go now?" Malik asked, nodding at the front door.  
  
Ryou stare at him and the fugitive emotionlessly, "I said lock him up, Malik," he commanded once more.  
  
"What? You have got to ne kidding me, Ryou. The Spirit of the Ring will kill this moron."  
  
"Lock him up again, please. I would like it if you'd just put Tony back in the closet, Malik," Ryou said, anger rippling his words.  
  
"No, I can't do that to someone. Sorry, Ryou, I'm letting him go," Malik responded, releasing the other young man who ran awkwardly out the door. Ryou glared furiously at his 'friend'.  
  
"Stop being so tyrannical, Ryou. You're acting like your Yami. Stop it!" Malik ordered, coming towards him.  
  
Ryou was suddenly terrified. Tony's absence had now calmed him, but Malik looked angry. The tan boy was soon before him, glaring down. Ryou felt very helpless, sitting in his chair, breathing deeply painful enough to drive him insane. As Malik looked down on him, Ryou had the paranoid notion he was going to be struck. Slowly he turned his glaze up into it Ishtar's eyes.  
  
"Don't do anything, Malik, I didn't mean it. Don't punish me for that, Malik," he pleaded timidly, his tone suddenly very small and nothing like the stern dictation of a few seconds ago.  
  
To his surprise, the Egyptian's expression calmed. He looked down at Ryou with what appeared the loathed pity. Slowly, the blonde sat down on the table across from his pathetic friend.  
  
"No Ryou, I'm not going to hurt you, I could never do that," Malik informed him.  
  
"That's a lie," Ryou contradicted him, "You were part of the reason I ran away."  
  
Malik look injured for a few seconds at this remark. Ryou watched him blankly as he seemed to be trying to find words. Malik not know what to say, how strange!  
  
"Ryou, how many times will I have to apologize before you forgive me?" he asked, a slight stress in his words.  
  
"I did," Ryou answered, "But it's not easy to forget what happened. It really hurt and I haven't recovered yet."  
  
Malik sighed at this and looked away from the boy's eyes. He watched the table before reaching out slowly, warily, and grabbing Ryou hand. He squeezed it gently. Ryou stared at it and fought the urge to pull back violently. He tensed at the gesture.   
  
"I'm sorry," Malik apologized again.  
  
Ryou mutely observed how much darker the tan skinned was over his own, not listening, just trying to block everything out again. Ryou had always thought he was physically incomplete, that when his design was planned in some random pre-life he didn't believe in whoever had drawn his image had forgotten to put it to color. The artist only stopping to work on simple blue eyes and what had promised to be some purple/blue hair before going off, leaving for a party or something, suffering a hangover as he sent the unfinished model to creation. Ryou saw only three real colors to him; white, blue, and purple, the minority being the strange color that ran through his locks and hardly noticeable. Sure, a talented designer had drawn him, but the laziness had made him tragically imperfect.  
  
Who ever had plotted his life story must have been on something too.  
  
"I think you're ill, Ryou," Malik noted as he rubbed the boy's hand. Ryou just shrugged at this. He didn't really care, he was to bored and tired to mind anymore. It was warm out and he was very drowsy.  
  
"It's too warm," he muttered as he felt the house heating up. Malik looked at him confused.  
  
"Are you felling okay? This place is freezing."  
  
"No," Ryou replied, "I'm tired and I just woke up."  
  
Malik furrowed his brow slightly at this. He looked over Ryou's already pale face.  
  
"I think you're sick," he stated.  
  
Ryou nodded, still not bothering to open his eyes He was still not able to care. Wow, he was ill, maybe he'd die. What would happen to his Yami?  
  
Ryou silently let Malik carry him to a bedroom. He opened his eyes as he lay on a soft, real bed and saw it was not his own.  
  
"Why can't I sleep in my room?" he asked, looking around.  
  
"That Tomb Robber trashed everything while you were gone." He informed the boy. Ryou nodded at this slowly.  
  
"Oh," he muttered.  
  
Suddenly there was a growl from the doorway. A flash of light leapt from the entrance and attacked Malik.  
  
"What the-?" the Ishtar scowled before it landed and knocked him hard over the head.  
  
For some reason, Ryou felt like applauding his Dark's effort, as Malik was rendered unconscious. He watched slightly amused.   
  
"Don't you touch my Hikari," the Fiend growled at the limp form on the ground. He kicked the body out of the room and turned to Ryou.  
  
"Don't let that fool near you again, Mortal," he growled. Ryou nodded as the Fiend left and slammed the door. He felt very relieved. He had gotten off almost too easily for that.  
  
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AN: There took me long enough for that. Want to know why? Well there was something wrong with document manager and I was only able to get one document uploaded. I want to update three fics last week and only succeeded in one. I had nothing to do all week except wait because I don't type new chapters usually till its predecessor has been up.  
  
So please read and review! I want only six because this took so long to put up. Okay?  
  
My new fic has been up now! It's called "Plans" and I'll be putting the third chapter up now. If you want to, read it.  
  
QUESTION:  
  
Okay, I was visiting my grandma when this came to me. It is: Do you prefer with eating utensil, forks, sporks, or chopsticks?  
  
My answer: Chopsticks. Don't ask, I'll try to explain. My grandma doesn't seem aware that forks exist, my friends have to bring their own when they come over with me. I don't really know why I prefer chopsticks; they just have this feel that seems more comforting than a fork to me. My brother isn't the same, grandma got on to him for stabbing something I think was teriyaki fish (I don't ask what it is, okay?).  
  
So which do you prefer?   
  



	14. Chapter 14: Dizzy

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.   
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
ASSASSIN OF THE SHADOWS: I used to have trouble with chopsticks. I couldn't hold then for five seconds. My friend was going crazy. He had it all down to pure instinct. I was kind of pathetic with the chopsticks, so I decided I'd learn the proper way. ………………. Oh, and FYI; the spelling is "psychotic".   
  
YAMI KRISSY: Yes, Bakura is a possessive freak. In his mind he "owns" Ryou, so, hehe, maybe he's messed up. …………………….Hey, if I count you friend sans and account, I could say I have 21 reviews! …………………… My friend showed me how to eat _everything_ with chopsticks that was small enough to pick up [sadly, this did not include Southern fried chicken breasts, darn it]  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Bakura has some major issues to work out…  
  
ESCURO DE LA LUS: It's not exactly Malik _bashing_…it's more of a Yami-Bakura-Hates-Malik-And-Feels-The-Obsessive-Urge-To-Attack-When-The-Fate-Hater-Is-On-The-Same-Planet-As-Him-And-His-Hikari. I'm generally quite fond of Malik and also Otogi [though his is not in this fic] and still make fun of them. If you thought that was my worst a Malik bashing, you should consider this fic a Ryou bashing. A Yu-Gi-Oh bashing for is corniness. *introduces another OC [take that Yu-Gi-Oh stoylines!] ahahahahahahaha!*  
  
NO NAME: I spent forever learning the "proper" way to hold chopsticks. I was eating Chinese at the mall and noticed the abundance of chopsticks in plastic wrappers and the the lessening amount of forks by the second [no one wanted to use chopsticks]. I asked the cashier later when no one was buying how to use them [I do these things at random intervals]. The guy really tried to show me how, but I had to drag my friend Mei [I forget his real name, it's too long, so I shortened it] over the next day so he could teach me too. I love chopsticks now! Whee!  
  
MIRI-CHAN: I've never tried chopsticks in my hair. Personally, I consider it as well as putting a fork in my locks. I think a fork would look interesting. Just wait, I'm going to go stick a fork in my hair and try to make a fashion statement. Chopsticks are getting cliché.  
  
STEPHANIE [ch8]: You're into my fic? Great! So many people are of the same opinion.  
  
SHADOW HAWK: I like chopsticks very much. I've been through Hell learning how they work though [there are very few Orientals where I live equaling very few places that actually have chopsticks. There's just a load of seafood places with lobsters in tanks and stuff].  
  
ALLENBY: I know forks are boring. And you have to stab you food! I just don't like that very much. It seems barbaric almost. I use forks though all the time though. I'm not going to carry a pair of chopsticks everywhere I go.  
  
STEPHANIE [ch13]: No, that is not all. This fic keeps going. When it's done, you'll be will informed, I assure you. So, first warning: fyi, this is NOT the last the chapter. I'm planning on about 18 chapters.  
  
KEMU: I quote: "I wonder what would happen if someone stole the defective Sennen Ring...would the other half notice?" No! My sequel, gone! Ahhhhhhhhhh!………hehe, j/k……… You should learn how to use chopsticks.  
  
SHESHELALA: Yay, another chopstick lover! Sorry about the delay. It's thunderstorm season and I live in "Tornado Alley". I wonder I a tornado will pic me up and drop my computer on top of Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh Anime Land, you know, anf knock some sense into him? That would be awesome.  
  
DRAGGY: A spork is one of those spoon looking things with three triangular points on the ends. ………………………Ryou was in the bed when Malik was attacked. He was watching from the bed.  
  
VEGETASGURL: There you go, I wrote more.  
  
YAMI NO ELESSARA: Yay, I inspired others to join FF.net! Once you have some fics out I'll try to read them. I just can't stand Mary-Sues [who does?], author insertions, lame Original Character's, and too much Out Of Character-ness. That's really all that bothers me much and I don't write it……………………………..I finally updated! Go me!………..I could help with a fanfic idea. I have lots of first chapters and plot bunnies I come around to every once and a while and work on. Most are Ryou or Yuugi centered if not some Lord of the Rings bit.  
  
NONAME: School impairs my judgment all the time, you're okay. I like the master card joke, an oldie, but a goodie!  
  
CHEESEPUFF: I've seen sporks that aren't sporks. They have these serraded edges and I don't know what the Hell to call them. Sporkives?………………….My friend Mei taught me how to use chopsticks. Before him, I had a poor cashier at the Chinese Food place in the mall try. I'm proud to admit I learned.  
  
CHAOS ANGEL: I'm glad you like the chapter…the both of you. My fic just brings people [things, yamis, daemons, angels] together so well!  
  
A.K.A. TALENTLESS: Yami Bakura is PMSing on us, damn those mood swings [-_-U uh, yeah, he's male….]!…………………I saw a spork with a serraded edge and have no idea what it's called. It's weird. ………………….I can't spell either and my grammar sucks, so don't worry about it! ^_^   
  
  
  
  
This is where Ryou discovers sort of what is wrong with him. Purposively he went to sleep sometime and has woken up for this beginning. It is still around the afternoon. This is the same day as last chapter. It's not very sentimental though. Everything gets all sappy and emotional again next chapters. Oh, and I suppose Yami Bakura is having some control issues with the whole attack-the-Ishtar-guy thing going on here and then just dropping Ryou around like a little rubber ball. I figure he is of the mind he "owns" his Hikari and does whatever the damn well he pleases. He's having more mood swings than most women I know, but he's perfectly evil still! Thank me!  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 14: Dizzy  
  
  
Ryou woke up to terrible pleas of mercy. For a few seconds he figured he had died and come to Hell. The surrounding area seemed very warm and stuffy. The boy didn't want to open his eyes; there was something horrible and inhumane going on distantly. If he were to show his current consciousness out of sleep then the next attack would be on him. He felt this for sure in some corner of his mine.  
  
"Please, I'm sorry!" a voice shrieked. There was a thud as a body roughly slammed into the hard floor a few rooms away.  
  
Instinctively Ryou sat up and looked around in terror for the approach of his other mind. The area was empty, the door safely closed. The boy was about to dismiss the scream as a hallucination before it sounded again. He could even pin point where it had come from; the living room. Ryou almost tried to call his Dark to find out what was going on. He remembered somehow before even trying that this was useless. He would have to find out another way.  
  
Slowly the pale child rose from his stuffy bed and stood near the exit. Someone was being hurt farther down the hall. Ryou imagined briefly that he was out of his own body and listening to his dark attack the poor spirit that had taken over in his own absence. He wanted to watch, to see what was happening from a distance.  
  
Quietly he opened the door and slipped out into the hallway. Halfway to the living room he got cold feet and bailed, turning into his room just a few feet outside from the door to the guest's bed he had started in. He was surprised at the sight that greeted him.  
  
The place was a disaster area. Ryou had to blink a few times just watching it. Everything had apparently been destroyed. Even the poor guitar had gotten a bit of the violence, strings cut and hanging limply. Ryou watched it sorrowfully, wondering why the Fined had gone into the hassle of retrieving the instrument from Malik's.  
  
Ryou walked carefully across the room, trying not to step on anything that had once been something. He couldn't even sit on the bed, he discovered. The springs creaked and threatened to give away loudly. The boy quickly forced himself off the falling structure as some more yelps came from the living room. He tried to ignore the sound, tried to pretend nothing was happening, but the noises just seemed to get louder.  
  
Finally Ryou snapped as a sick crack sounded. Maybe the Spirit of the Ring was going to kill this time. Ryou knew that couldn't be allowed, he couldn't just let a person die when there was the chance to avoid it. The boy, frightened at what might have already been done to the sufferer, left the bedroom and continued down the hall.  
  
The seen in the living room was startling. Ryou could barely believe what he saw. The young man, Tony, was on the ground bleeding and moaning like a great wounded beast. Ryou watched him, staring grimly on. Tony wasn't looking at him; he looked up at the Spirit before above petrified. Another sharp punch to the jaw was soon delivered with cruel accuracy.  
  
The pain in Tony's face was almost fascinating suddenly. It was obvious the Fiend was really hurting the bully. The blood pouring in a steady stream became a slight river running down Tony's face, into his gapping mouth and blossoming on his thick shirt. It was sickening to watch but Ryou couldn't locate any desire to turn away. He did not hate the young man any longer, just was interested in his suffering. In fact, Ryou wasn't feeling anything, just observing distantly like the viewer to some violent television movie. Of course, he wanted it to stop, but that was his Dark attacking. He could do nothing for the pegged down mortal tormentor who now cringed and cowered so idiotically.  
  
Ryou was alarmed at the absence of feeling. He didn't care enough to help but wasn't holding any grudge that let him allow another to have such treatment. He felt a little sorry finally at Tony's pathetic whimpers. Slowly Ryou realized Tony could easily die with no debt to the Fiend. He didn't want to, but he began to see a bit of himself in the other's crying and terror. The little movie playing before him became more terrible, but there was still nothing he could do.  
  
Ryou distracted himself with how Tony had returned. Malik had tried to prevent this, letting the bully run. Either Tony had foolishly returned now or the Spirit had tracked him down. Whichever, the young man's whose group had hurt Ryou was on the floor and barely holding reality in his consciousness as he begged, not unlike Ryou before he'd accepted the Spirit of the Ring as the Master.  
  
Ryou waited patiently as the sight of the other mortal turned to him. The eyes grew wide in recognition and terror.  
  
"Ryou, help me, make him stop!" the wounded man pleaded, "I'm sorry, plea-"  
  
"Quiet!" the Yami commanded, kicking the other hard in the head. Though not causing him to black out, the blow did make Tony silent quickly.  
  
Ryou took a nervous step back, shaking his head in disgust.  
  
"Nice of you to join us, Little One," the Spirit greeted, nodding to Ryou before turning back to his prey.  
  
From a back pocket, the Fiend pulled out the one object Ryou most feared.  
  
"Oh, you know, I'm going to kill it," the Daemon informed him, gesturing to Tony on the ground.  
  
Ryou watched the thin item, scared of the sharpness. The knife shimmered coldly in the electric lighting. What was the Spirit going to do? Was he bluffing or was he for real?  
  
"Yami, no. Please don't hurt Tony anymore," Ryou begged finally, the first words he had spoken since waking up.  
  
"I don't want the guy dead," he informed his Dark, steeping forward timidly.  
  
Seriously, Ryou didn't need Tony killed. He had thought he wanted the bully hurt, but that hadn't even been real, just some demented form of spite. How terrible was that old saying: 'Be careful what you wish for'! He had gotten his manic temporary desire for revenge and more. The knife showed things were getting out of hand.  
  
"I don't care if you want him dead. I want him dead. Don't worry so much, Hikari. I promise not to hurt this fool anymore when I'm done, okay? Of course, no one else will either unless he drops to Hell. Too bad I can't kill you too, eh?"  
  
Ryou watched horrified as the Fiend drew towards the huddling mass of human again. Tony just sat there staring stupidly as his end approached. Resting his hand lightly on the mess of face, the Spirit lifted the knife hand high above his head.  
  
Ryou didn't know what he was doing; all that crossed his semi-rational mind was the knowledge that he could never allow such a thing. With amazing speed, he ran at the Spirit. He grabbed the wrist with the blade as he threw his weight into the Yami's chest, successfully knocking him over. Ryou and Dark fell back, pale angry child on top. With the above advantage, Ryou held down the knife arm with both hands while the Spirit instinctively tried to slash into him. With a surprisingly clear voice, Ryou yelled at Tony to get out at the same time.  
  
Ryou hardly noticed as the other person, now free, disappeared on command. He only dimly saw the idol of fear he was trying to keep down. The Spirit's eyes flames as he recovered from the shock. Ryou was in entirely the wrong position to keep anything pinned to the ground. With amazingly swift movements that devastated Ryou, the Fiend was able to grab the boy's shirt material in two fists without drooping the knife. Ryou could only let out a yelp as his Yami tossed him on his back victoriously and resumed control of the altered situation. Of course, Tony was long gone so the Hikari had no more to fight for.  
  
"What was that, Fool?" the Fiend asked dangerously.  
  
Ryou gapped at him. He could not put to words suddenly the reason he had intervened. It was obvious he didn't want death for Tony, but he couldn't even find a way to say that.  
  
The Yami glared at him. The edge of his terrifying weapon pressed involuntarily on the boy's skin, freezing him below the chin. Ryou tensed and cringed. His Yami did know he hated knives. The Spirit smirked at the pleasant accident that put everything back into his rein. Ryou was so scared and it showed beautifully in his expression. The Fiend was proud of his Hikari's insane attack, but this was much better. This was how much he appreciated his Hikari. The pretty little hurt child, completely paranoid; what had Ryou seemed to the rest of the world?  
  
Without thinking, the Spirit tried to see his Light's memories of where he'd been to answer this question. Nothing happened. He scowled at this as he remembered. He felt less intelligent suddenly for he had put up a strong mental block while he was beating up that punk. Ryou couldn't communicate with his Yami at all.  
  
"Well, Child, what did you attack me for? To save some idiot?" the Fiend growled.  
  
Ryou watched him nervously as the blade still rested on his skin. The Fiend opened his mouth to hiss another threat while Ryou fought the urge to close his eyes and pretend nothing was happening. To the boy's surprise, the angry face twisted in some momentary distraction. Ryou was startled to recognize the expression as that of slight physical pain. Was something ailing his Yami?  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, still nervous with the knife at his throat. A small growl escaped the Fiend's stomach.  
  
"What do you think, Fool?" the Spirit snapped, glaring at him again. Slowly he stood off of the boy's form and pocketed his weapon.  
  
"I need some assistance in your horrible kitchen. Do you mortals really want all that machinery to be so confusing? What's wrong with all of you?" he commanded and griped.  
  
Ryou just watched the couch unmoving. Did Yamis need to eat? What was happening now?  
  
"Owe!" Ryou yelped in pain, looking up to see the Fiend sneering at him. Okay, so the attack wasn't malicious, but it still hurt.  
  
"Wake up, Hikari," the spirit ordered, "Believe me, I know how fascinating the couch is, I admit to looking at it a few times, yes, but really. How can you watch the thing so intensely? I don't think it's quite entirely that captivating. You look down right obsessed with that bit of furniture."  
  
Quickly Ryou blinked several times and tried to concentrate on what the Yami was saying. It wasn't very easy.  
  
"Not sorry to wake you from you little musings, but I need mortal expertise on modern laziness in the kitchen," the Spirit informed him, suddenly not angry or annoyed.  
  
Ryou stood up and followed his Yami to the food. This mood swing that always seemed to twirl his Yami about never ceased to amaze the boy. Now Yami Bakura was almost chipper and funny. Was this the nature that had cause Ryou to fall in love with the Fiend? Truth be told, it wasn't very hard to not like the Spirit when he was in a good mood.  
  
"Make something with meat in it, Mortal," the Yami ordered, sitting down at the table and waiting.  
  
The Hikari soon had a sandwich made up with lots of turkey. The Fiend took it greedily, remarking in a rude statement that not eating made you slower and if Ryou decreased speed and further, he'd be devolving. This force Ryou to some bread and an unusually tall glass filled to the brim with clear water. The Yami didn't speak up again till he had finished his meal.  
  
"Are you planning on eating that?" he asked, watching the bread next to Ryou's glass.  
  
"I have a choice?" Ryou asked as the Spirit grabbed the food. He sighed at this behavior and reached for his glass, careful not to spill a drop. The liquid suddenly seemed very precious to him. The boy took a small, incredibly slow sip of water, feeling it flow down his throat. It had the common thin and tasteless, yet the experience was much more sensual than Ryou ever remembered drinking anything. The movement of the liquid made him almost dizzy. Nervously he sniffed the water. It was all right; it was normal and straight from the tap. So why did he feel so close to becoming light headed? Indeed, one sip and Ryou felt well on the way to semi-drunkenness.  
  
Ryou quickly pushed the glass away.  
  
"Why, thank you," the Spirit smirked, grabbing the drink and taking a gulp. He put it down again with a sigh.  
  
"Why it tastes so plain? It's nothing like it was before," he remarked at the water.  
  
"H-how was it before?" Ryou asked slowly, not sure he really wanted an answer.  
  
"A lot different. Water was so great; I used to go insane in three large swallows. It was so strange. Maybe you'd call it…otherworldly? Food was much the opposite. I used to choke and gag with the stuff. Now it is so easy to consume," the Fiend mused at the bread he held left strangely still uneaten.  
  
Ryou nodded hastily. He didn't want more water.  
  
"Yami?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Hikari?" the Spirit mocked in the same slightly urgent tone.  
  
"I haven't eaten for three days," he confined.  
  
"I'm not giving your bread back," the Fiend replied, misinterpreting the message.  
  
"I'm not even hungry," Ryou sighed, watching the food with zero desire.  
  
"Stop being an idiot. Eat something," the Spirit ordered. He shoved a piece of crust into his Hikari's hand. Ryou just stared at it.  
  
"Eat it," the Spirit commanded with a menacing glare at the boy.  
  
Ryou cautiously placed the food in his mouth. He had no sudden ravenous desire to devour the morsel. In fact, it was like a strip of paper or slip of plastic on his tongue. He didn't want to swallow it, much less even work his jaws to chew.  
  
"Eat," the Fiend growled again.  
  
"I don't feel like it," Ryou stated reaching to take the crust out of his mouth.  
  
"You swallow or I'll make you, Fool. Chew and swallow, there's nothing wrong with you. You're just insane. You're starving. You can still consume food," the Spirit coached, his voice snapping anxiously to see if there was really something the matter with the boy before him.  
  
Ryou stopped trying to spit out the food. Feeling like he was eating paper, he chewed the uncomfortable "substance". Fighting a slight gag, he forced the pulpy nothing down.  
  
Ryou winched. It felt like his throat was trying to close up entirely. He thanked gods that his Yami had given him a small enough crumb be coughed out in seconds. When it was completely gone his mouth was parched. There was a complete absence of moisture. Ryou could hardly stand the dryness. He started rasping as his Dark just watched.  
  
Ryou hit his knees; he had so much trouble trying to breathe. His throat, windpipe and all, had not opened up after trying to stop the bread. If Ryou passed out from lack of air, would he just find himself in the Shadow Realm where that wasn't required?  
  
Ryou never thought Yami's or others needed oxygen. But as dots stared forming on the edges of his vision, the boy just stopped worrying about it. He was on his hands and knees hacking his lungs out and trying to get air at the same time. He felt a familiar blackness forming. He was going to pass out soon.  
  
Ryou felt in his sudden blindness the rim of a cold glass being pressed against his lips. The water that he feared to drink was trying to pour into his mouth as the container was tilted. Ryou let it slip in, holding it on his tongue to moisturize the dryness before unwillingly taking a gulp.  
  
Quickly all his sense came back to life. He stopped gasping instantly, like the fluid was some miracle tonic. Ryou had never felt so relieved. His senses heightened as they returned. He felt a warm arm over his shoulder and noticed for the first time that he was quite cold. It was another change from before.  
  
Ryou's awareness was so advanced he grew dizzy with all the information around him and a recognizable drunkenness crawled up. It was like energy with nothing to do. The boy almost passed out again from his boredom of being still. He quickly lost coordination and let his head sink limply into the neck and shoulder of the warmth holing him. He started apologizing into the fabric, for what, he didn't know, just assuring the form he was terribly sorry.  
  
Slowly Ryou was lifted to a standing position, head still buried in the other's shoulder. He was half walked, half carried to the living room again. The gyrating shapes in his mind were making his thoughts impossible. He just pondered vaguely why water had to be so terrible, canceling out the dryness but also making him ill.  
  
Ryou tried to protest in mindless mutterings as the support pulled away. He was in a large chair, a very soft chair that didn't warm up at all. He was able to see around him again. He rested his heavy, yet mentally light, head in one arm, watching his Yami pace around in front of him.  
  
"I'm never eating again," he stated in a small voice.  
  
"Cowardly Pessimist, of course you are! After I fix this great mess," hi Dark scowled.  
  
Ryou arched a mockingly unsure eyebrow at this.  
  
"Till then," the Spirit growled, "You can eat if you're careful, but you're to thick and paranoid to try, I assume."  
  
Ryou nodded. That made sense.  
  
"Where's Malik?" he asked lazily.  
  
The Fiend's face clouded suddenly with anger. He glared at Ryou fiercely.  
  
"It does not matter. Don't you dare mention him again!" the Spirit ordered.  
  
Ryou tried to nod at this too, but his hand slipped and his head knocked on the armrest roughly. He whimpered at the slight pain this earned him. He hated this feeling. He thought he could do a simple thing like lifting he head up again, but other body parts had been suddenly gifted with minds of tier own. As he tried to concentrate on lifting his hand back up, his arm followed and pushed him from the chair. Ryou slowly decided he wanted to get up and stood shaking.  
  
"You shouldn't get up," the Fiend remarked across the coffee table, not bother to aid the boy.  
  
No sooner had these words been spoken that Ryou felt his knees disappear. He barely felt the pain of his left elbow as it slammed violently into the hard wood table, following the rest of his body to the thinly carpeted floor. A flower vase fell down and crashed nearby.  
  
"I say, Mortal, if you are indeed still one, you're taking the whole mindless much worst than I ever could. I recovered much sooner," the Spirit stated, fingering a small flower he had retrieve from the vase's accident. Ryou just watched him sorrowful, pitying his own state.  
  
"You'll survive," the Fiend beamed.  
  
Ryou glared at him; or at least tried.  
  
"You'll sort out in time enough, you're just slow," the Yami informed him almost brightly, tossing the tiny flower at Ryou's face, where it was successfully caught by the boy's long white hair, "I suggest you just wait this all out. You have nothing to really worry over. It was only water."  
  
Ryou didn't respond. He watched the Dark turn around and exit his vision. He listened distantly to the door opening and closing as the Yami left.  
  
Ryou finally sighed from where he lay on the floor, not willing to get up anything soon. He stared at the ceiling, unknowingly mimicking the Fiend by counting the dots. He decided he was going to avoid water from here on out till his Yami could solve the problem with them both. It was the most he could do for himself now it seemed.  
  
  
  
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Damn, I asked for six reviews and got *counts reviews* TWENTY! Awe, sh-*tries to find a word that isn't a curse* Oh, Kami-sama, I'm gonna die. I've never gotten twenty reviews after one update. And here I ask for SIX, six little reviews. If ya'll keep this up, I may reach the 200review marker in no time.  
  
Damn, twenty reviews. I'm not gonna get over this any time soon.  
  
I'm sorry I didn't update anything last week, really. You just can't go on the Internet during thunderstorms, you know. I nearly lost a computer to that because it got overloaded through the phone line even though it was off.  
  
I'm trying to pass school right now. Ah, yes, I have to complete all I have put off. I'm okay though; I have some soothing Yu-Gi-Oh manga scans I can force people to translate. Oh, joy! Oh, joy!  
  
   
THIS WEEKS QUESTION:  
  
Do you know what the Hell I was saying? It's perfectly seventh grade math, I know, and I still may have gotten something wrong [I wonder if anyone obsessed with math will bother to check?]. If I did, let me know. You should see the trig calculations I use out of boredom for no reason whatsoever when drawing anime faces and weapons.  
  
Let me know how boring this was. Did you think it was a waste of time? Who's time did it waste: yours, mine, or both of ours?  
  
Once again, just thought I'd put that there. I have no reason whatsoever to do that to everyone, but still. Maybe I should publish everyone in the cast I haves transferred heights for you and not explain it all? How's that? Better?  
  
[As you all know, this is just a desperate plead for homework. The semester is closing and all the tests were last week. Our teachers stare at us and do nothing while we wait for the final days of school. I need something to occupy myself! I'm going to see if they need a clerk at the music shop down the road, anything with math. I want to be a cashier at McDonald's if it's all that's left, but that isn't safe. McDonalds is in a bad neighborhood. Damn, I'll baby-sit AGAIN like last summer most likely.]


	15. Chapter 15: How Things Are Supposed To B...

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.   
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
BRITTANY: *timidly hands over the 15th chapter* Here you go. Can I live now?  
  
CYNTHIA CHEN: You're looking forward? Okay, well you can look at my fic now; it's been updated.  
  
NO NAME: Yes, they are kind of switching places, I admit. I'm glad you love the story. I'm giving the story "curious" glances now. It has a lot of loves. I think it's up to something.  
  
MALIK'SGURL: Chopsticks rule. May people who use them prefer them.  
  
CHEESEPUFF: You like Yami Bakura scenes? Good, this is one for you than. ……………..You didn't read the math? Okay, I don't care actually. I wonder if anyone did though?  
  
ALLENBY: Ryou is not becoming HIS Yami. I cannot explain it. He is not taking all of his Dark's personality. Ahhh, I'll explain later or it will ruin everything.  
  
ASHURI CHAN: You hopes may not come true. The item may never fix; Ryou may never be completely okay. At least, not in this part of the fic. Maybe I should work on the sequel a tad more.  
  
YAMI KRISSY: You have a friend named Montana who likes math? Interesting. I used to go to some very good schools before my family moved. Now we can't afford tuition and I'm in public school. It is really weird. Everyone thinks I'm smart. They find it strange I am in all the honors classes available and play guitar. They think idiots play guitar or that smart people only play gospel songs. Okay, lets look at the strangeness in this notion. Why the Hell would I play gospel when I can't sit through one song? Smartness is really overrated. What do they want to see, a sweater and a skirt girl playing happy piano music? Okay….  
  
HIEI-CHAN: I'm continuing. Here is more of my great fanfic.  
  
JOUNOUNCHIS KOI: Ryou isn't so much gaining his Yami's feelings as he is gaining the Shadow's influences. Ponder that for a while till I explain it all.  
  
DEE-WHY-CEE-ARE: I don't think Yami Yuugi is coming back. Malik is not dead.  
  
ASHURI CHAN: Really? Do you know what is happening? Did I not make it pathetically obvious?  
  
ELLE-FATE2X1: Okay, here is more of my great fic.  
  
ASSASSIN OF THE SHADOWS: Here is another chapter. Read and enjoy.  
  
LUNA-ROSE: I'm happy my fic twists so much. I guess my mind does that a lot. I must be twisted with all those cliff hangers.  
  
YUGIFAN: Ryou, my dear reviewer, is obvious not in good humor. I made up the water thing because it sounded cool.  
  
ESCURO DE LA LUS: No, many people are of the opinion I killed Malik actually. It's interesting. …………………….I checked out the pics. Lovely. I want to request Otogi pics. I luv Otogi. ((Ryou: What about me?)) I love Ryou too, but he has enough pictures.  
  
DRAGGY: Yes, I wait for a bit before solving my little fic's mysteries. And all of you can't just jump to the last chapter and find out what happens because currently it is not in existence. One seventy-five-page college rule, spiral notebook answers everything and none of you can see it. Hahahaha! …………….I like to guess the answers to thing. I'll watch five minutes of a movie and already locate all the love triangles [which is why I find it difficult to watch movies]. I read a book and lose interest because I keep guessing correctly the next actions and realize I could have written something a whole lot better. It's sad.  
  
RAYNE: Sorry the math made no sense. You have to take it apart and maybe try to follow each step individually. You're probably a visual learner and I had everything down in facts. Don't worry, I will not be testing everyone on it.  
  
AYMELEH: You like my story! Here is the rest!  
  
NONAME: I think Yami Bakura needs to learn some math to see how triangles are supposed to stand.   
  
THE-DARK-ONE: Awe, I wish you could read the fic. It is really getting good. I'm now on 23 people's favorite author sections. I'll miss all the nice long reviews!  
  
WINGEDWOLF: I am writing fast. But, it's hard to type without a computer on you're only three typing days. I got this almost out in one after noon. And, so you know, when I first didn't update for a week I got more reviews. The second time I got even more. I don't think the readers care, and I give them so many questions about if Ryou will ever be okay. But, I'm updating today, so there is no threat. I try to update once a week, you see. I couldn't last time die to circumstance beyond my control.   
  
STEPHANIE: Okay, I'm still typing, since this is 'cool'.  
  
RESPONDED TO FIFTEENTH CHAPTER NOTE:  
  
ALLENBY: I found out I have to retype all of "Sorry For You…" on a different word document. There seems to be some kind of restriction inbedded in the text file. Currently though, I have no time for all of this. Ergo, that story is not updated yet.  
  
RENEE THE RABID SQUIRREL: Yeah, they are kind of shifting places.  
  
TOKYOGAL89: The Evil Laugh and Me used to share a pen name. We wrote "Sorry For You, Hikari of Yami Bakura" together till she stopped. She finally got AOL and can have her own account.  
  
NONAME: Bakura has an eating problem. That or he's a goat. ……………………My friend actually had me co-write a fic with her before I took over our account. She finally got a screen name and I signed her address for a pen name. She is not The Evil Laugh.  
  
  
  
  
Don't worry peoples; Malik is OKAY! In fact, he's in the first paragraph. Oh, and I'm going back to romance anguish scenes! Yay!  
  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 15: How Things Are Supposed To Be  
  
  
Malik arrived a half-hour after Ryou's little discovery. By then, the white haired boy was feeling very much normal and sat on the couch. He looked up at the Ishtar in slight amazement.  
  
"What happened to you?" Ryou asked.  
  
"You're idiot Yami's what happened to me," the Egyptian replied, rubbing the back of his neck like there was some pain there, "You'd think I'd tried to steal the Millennium Ring."  
  
Ryou tilted his head in confusion at this,  
  
"What did you do, Malik?"  
  
"I apparently committed the great felony of helping his Hikari. That sadistic freak is too protective over everything," Malik informed him, still standing.  
  
"What did he do?" Ryou asked, curious.  
  
"Knocked me over the head and dragged my unconscious limbs to some lot three blocks down."  
  
Ryou nodded at this slowly. Why had his Dark felt entitled to do such a thing to Malik? What was the point?  
  
"You know, Ryou, being all day sleeping in a gutter makes a person hungry. You won't chase me three blocks screaming if I get some food, would you?" Malik asked, heading hopefully for the kitchen.  
  
"No," Ryou answered, leading Malik to the cabinets.  
  
"Kind of hard to believe only two people have to eat here, eh?" he remarked to Malik's eyes widening at the rows upon rows of canned food.  
  
"Uh, I think this one is okay," Malik informed, grabbing a can of diced fruit.  
  
Ryou pointed at the can opener.  
  
"Open it, I think you can manage that," he stated before Malik handed him the metal container.  
  
"Awe," Malik pouted turning around.  
  
"Oh, and I think you are fully capable of getting your own bowl as well," Ryou continued, kicking the lower cabinet where said item were held.  
  
"What ever happened to serving the guest? Do you have an hospitality?" Malik complained, trying to get the can opened.  
  
"I'm letting you eat my food, aren't I?" Ryou asked annoyingly.  
  
"Well, then I'll make a note not to come over anymore." Malik snapped with the seriousness of threat often posed by feather pillows.  
  
"Good, you'll probably live longer." Ryou answered, with very little sarcasm. Malik sighed in frustration at this.  
  
"Will you do anything I ask?" Malik groaned.  
  
"If you ask nicely," Ryou answered, sitting down at the kitchen table.  
  
"Will you please get me a bowl then?" Malik requested.  
  
"No," Ryou answered calmly.  
  
"Why not?" Malik complained again.  
  
"You're a whole lot closer than I am to the cabinet."  
  
Malik frowned, realizing this was true. Muttering some incoherent phrases to himself, the Egyptian leaned down and grabbed a bowl. He dumped the fruit in with a loud plop and pulled up a chair across from Ryou. He held up two spoons.  
  
"Will you help me eat this, please?" he inquired, "No man could do such a thing alone."  
  
Ryou glared at him unintentionally.  
  
"I'm not hungry," he stated.  
  
"Oh, come on, of course you are! How can you not be a little by ravenous after all that's been happening the past three days?" Malik asked, holding out a spoon.  
  
"I can't eat," Ryou informed him.  
  
"You're Dark isn't restricting you from food, is he?" Malik asked, taking his friend's statement entirely the wrong way.  
  
"No," Ryou answered quickly.  
  
"Then eat," Malik ordered.  
  
"I can't," Ryou repeated.  
  
"Are you allergic to fruit or something?" Malik asked in annoyance.  
  
"I'm allergic to everything maybe," Ryou replied quietly.  
  
"I feel like I don't know something. What's the matter, Ryou?" Malik inquired, finally realizing something was wrong.  
  
"I haven't really eaten for three days," Ryou informed him, keeping the whole situation back still.  
  
"You must feel terrible," Malik remarked.  
  
"No, that's what's wrong," Ryou finally informed him, "I don't. I didn't even notice."  
  
Malik's eyebrows shot up slightly, showing his surprise.  
  
"Why?" he questioned, not entirely sure Ryou could answer.  
  
Ryou reached around his neck for the Millennium Ring and held it out to the other. Malik grabbed it lightly.  
  
"It's cold," the Ishtar reported, hastily dropping the item again.  
  
"Yes, and it's ruined everything too. We don't know what to do." Ryou told his friend, watching the pendant.  
  
Malik nodded, pick up his spoon.  
  
"I don't know what's wrong either, but I don't think it will stay broken forever. You should ask Shaddi about it. He might know, being the bigheaded guardian and all. I mean; he's got all that "fathomless" knowledge on the Millennium Items." Malik suggested.  
  
"What if he doesn't know?"  
  
Malik shrugged casually at this," Well, it will sure shut that freak's mouth, now will it? You'd be doing the entire Millennium Item community a huge favour."  
  
Ryou glared at him," Are you even taking me seriously? If you're assuming I'm optimistic, you're right, but I'm not stupid. I really want to know what's wrong, Malik."  
  
The Egyptian nodded, suddenly less humorous. In fact, Ryou thought the face was a lie; it was up so fast. When the other spoke, some of Ryou's doubts were relieved.  
  
"I know. I'll try to help you find Shaddi. He really does know a lot, much more than you, me, or Isis."  
  
Ryou nodded slightly in agreement. He listened as the front door opened and turned to Malik worried. The boy shock his head and made no attempt to get up. Ryou tensed nervously as Malik continued to eat calmly.  
  
Ryou watched the entrance to the room as he heard clumsy, wonderfully mortal created footsteps approaching. His father was soon present. There was a linen bandage shining brightly the man's dark head and he held an ice pack in a free hand.  
  
"Hello," the man greeted, looking at Ryou and Malik.  
  
Malik pushed the bowl casually towards an empty seat and sticking the second spoon into the fruit, inviting the man over. Ryou's father walked over and sat down.  
  
"And you are?" he ask, diving the utensil into the gooey, wet food and lifting it.  
  
"Malik Ishtar, Ryou's friend," Malik answered, taking another bit and swallowing before adding on, "It's great you're here now, sir. There is no way I can eat all of this, and you're son happens to not be very hungry."  
  
Ryou made a random gesture in agreement. His father raised his eyebrow only slightly and continued eating. Between this second bite he choked suddenly, seeing the Millennium Ring.  
  
"Why's…?" he trailed off.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Ryou apologized, quickly placing the item under his shirt.  
  
"So," he remarked finished putting the Ring up and killing a silence ready to form, "What happened, Father? How did your head get hurt?"  
  
His father sighed, "That crazy Spirit decided it would do right proper to black me out with a meat mallet."  
  
Malik made a tisk sound with his tongue, "How uncivilized!"  
  
"Aye, someone need to teach that daemon some manners," the man agreed, turned to Ryou who nodded quickly.  
  
"I wish we could get rid of the pest. He does the most horrid things to us un staying here," Ryou's father muttered. His son nodded halfheartedly at this since the man still watched him. Malik noticed his discomfort. Quickly the Egyptian shoveled the last of the fruit in seconds to divert the adult's attention.  
  
"That was quite rude," the man scowled, "Why'd you just inhale the last of the food like that? You might as well have eaten the spoon and bowl with it."  
  
"Oh, well I guess I was just so hungry, sir," Malik apologized, winking at Ryou. The white haired boy smiled slightly in return.  
  
"Eat much?" the man asked.  
  
"High metabolism," Malik nearly sang.  
  
"Whatever, boy. I guess I'll go to sleep now. It's late and my head is killing me. I have to go to a site in Romania in a few days. Some colleagues unearthed a small village in the mountains."  
  
"You're leaving?" Ryou blurted out in surprise.  
  
"Sorry it's such short notice, Ryou, but I only go my assignment this afternoon. I'm going as soon as possible. I could maybe bring you if you'd like, it's still Summer vacation."  
  
"I'll think about it, father," Ryou quickly tried to recover his outburst.  
  
"Of course, but you know, if you hadn't come home yesterday evening, I wouldn't have gone. But, thankfully, you're back. I hope it stays that way," the man informed him.  
  
Ryou nodded, hiding his disappointment and confusion. His father rose slowly at this and left. Ryou listened to him moving before getting up and walking to the back porch. He sat down on a chair. Malik followed and remained standing behind him.  
  
"You should go home now. Yami might come back and your sister is probably worried."  
  
Malik just shrugged, not really caring. Ryou chose to ignore him. It was the Ishtar's choice whether to go or stay. Ryou didn't really feel like doing anything, much less ordering the other to leave. He just thought about his Father's offer.  
  
Romania, how little he knew about that part of the world to the west. What he knew even less was why in the world his father had to go there. That had to be one of the places more different from Domino than Ryou had ever worried about. Of course, his father would have never agreed if Ryou had been gone just one day longer. The man wanted him home.  
  
Ryou didn't even want to go to Romania. He'd just be introducing his Yami to another part of the world. The Fiend might get angry, which would ruin whatever Ryou's father was trying to do. The boy couldn't do such a thing to the man.  
  
"Are you going with your father?" Malik finally asked.  
  
"No, Yami would just get in the way," Ryou replied quietly.  
  
Malik and put his hand on Ryou's shoulder sending a chill up his spine. The white haired boy quickly pulled away. He didn't care how normal the gesture was.  
  
"If you don't stop it with my Hikari I will kill you, Ishtar," a voice growled from inside the house. Ryou closed his eyes and waited for what was going to happen.  
  
"When, you don't seem too concerned about him," Malik shot back, alarming Ryou.  
  
"Quiet, Mortal, before I make you regret being born. You don't know anything about this," the Spirit hissed.  
  
Ryou opened his eyes and turned around to the two feuding beings. He suddenly realized just how egotistical his Dark's remark had been.  
  
"Yami?" he asked, looking at the Fiend best he could, "I want to know something."  
  
"Yes?" the Spirit growled, glaring at Malik.  
  
Ryou paused before continuing, watching the Fiend nervously.  
  
"Can you tell me exactly what makes everything Malik says wrong and what makes everything you don't say right? I'm afraid it's quite hard for me to grasp. You tell me you hate me and, you tell others you hate me. Now you just said Malik didn't understand and to shut up. You told him he didn't know. Well, what didn't he get because I'm afraid I don't either. How come I shouldn't believe him over you when all you do is contradict yourself?" Ryou asked, his voice almost painfully polite and drown in respect and curiosity.  
  
"Why you tyrannical, petite little fool," the Yami growled, smirking, "You silver tongued little child, trying to trap me in my secrecy. You really must think you have it all explain. You think you understand my motives. What, do you think there's a reason to my insanity? You think that maybe inside I have the guilt to rival on of those petty little saints, don't you? You're wrong, boy, so don't even try to hurt me with your convictions, backed by that pathetic Ishtar."  
  
Malik growled at the Spirit, clenching his fists. Ryou just watched them both as his Yami mocked the Egyptian.  
  
"Oh yes, the Malik Ishtar. He doesn't want you, Hikari, he only thinks he does because I will not let him have you. He just wants to get back at me because he thinks I deserve it. Going to him would be a great mistake, child. He'd drop you so fast that you'd keep falling till you hit the uttermost bottom in some forgotten side of Hell."  
  
"Why you daemonic ass," Malik started, heading for the Fiend.  
  
"Stop," Ryou ordered nervously from where he sat, "Don't fight."  
  
Malik stopped dead and reached for Ryou's arm, "But Ryou, you don't believe-"  
  
"Get off me," Ryou ordered, pulling away. Yami Bakura smirked.  
  
"You see, Ryou, you do need me. I will always be here. I understand you better than anyone will ever even bother. I am the Yami; you are the Hikari. Don't worry about those pesky mortals getting in the path of the way things are supposed to be: Dark and Light, Strong and Weak, Master and Servant. Everyone sees different and tries to ruin it all," he bragged, grabbing Ryou's hand in triumph.  
  
Ryou looked at the warm manacle over his hand. All these opposites made sense: but something about it wasn't entirely acceptable. He was too confused to think too much about it.  
  
"Please don't touch me," he requested quietly.  
  
The Spirit's face clouded in anger. He reached for Ryou's wrist and held it tighter.  
  
"I'll touch you anytime I want," the Spirit roared, lifting his free hand to knock Ryou in the head.  
  
"Fine, hurt him again," Malik mocked from the corner. The Fiend paused and glared at him.   
  
"I think Ryou got the point a long time ago." Malik remarked. Ryou watched him as well, confused and surprised.  
  
"Are you challenging me?" the Spirit growled. Ryou whimpered slightly as the grip on his wrist became tighter in his Yami's wrath.  
  
"No, I'm just letting you know Ryou isn't an idiot. He knows who is charge by now. He's just asking you politely to let go of him since you 'care' so much. You don't have act so hostile, you could just say no. He's not gonna do anything about it. You've done a very good job teaching him what not to do." Malik remarked.  
  
"Thank you, Ishtar. Would you like to learn as well?" the Spirit growled, getting ready to attack Malik.  
  
"Yami," Ryou complained. His arm was yanked about while the Fiend stepped towards Malik.  
  
The Dark stopped and looked at him. He dragged Ryou to the door and tossed him into the house.  
  
"Get away from me," he hissed at the boy where he lay on the ground, "Go to your room or something. Just get the Hell out of my sight."  
  
Ryou looked up at him terrified. He rushed to the guest room, slamming the door behind him and locking it.  
  
Crying silently, Ryou crawled onto the bed, tucking his knees in and rocking back and forth. His Yami truly hated him now. They were too deeply sundered by the malfunction of the Ring. The Spirit would leave him. Malik would be disappointed as well. Ryou's father, who obviously couldn't stand the house, would go to Romania. This would render Ryou completely alone. He'd die and not a single would notice save the person paying politely for the undertakers and funeral, where all would cry for how they never felt. They would feel a bit of regret for what they couldn't stop and forget it all in a month.  
  
Ryou decided slowly he would go to Romania then, maybe lose himself in the forests and die even more alone than he was crying. Strangely, the more he thought about it, the better it all seemed.  
  
There was no one to make him feel any better as he listened to Malik and the Spirit of the Ring argue.  
  
  
  
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Authoress: Damn, this story has a lot of love going to it by reviewers.  
  
Story [Stiggy]: Hehehe  
  
Authoress: Uh, you aren't doing anything to these reviewers, are you?  
  
Story [Stiggy]: Hehehe  
  
Authoress: Everyone loves you.  
  
Story [Stiggy]: Hehe, kinky!  
  
Authoress: Sorry, Stiggy, not quite that way.  
  
Stiggy: Awe…I want to be loved!  
  
Authoress: You are.  
  
Stiggy: *glares at Ego*  
  
Authoress: Forget it, I don't want you messing with those reviewers.  
  
Stiggy: *in low sexy voice of doom* I love you, Reviewers.  
  
Authoress: Stigmatized, stop it!  
  
Stiggy: I love all of you.  
  
Authoress: Stigmatized, stop hitting on the reviewers, they just want to read the fic!  
  
Stiggy: Don't you all like me too? Won't you come to the desktop screen with me? The background is a collage of hot anime characters. I can show them to you.  
  
Authoress: *grabs story and locks it in the Yugioh desktop folder* Sorry about that everyone. This fic wants to be a lemon and is have some very randy thoughts.  
  
Stiggy: *yelling from file in a high whinny voice* Come on, you were so close in the first chapter! Why not?  
  
Authoress: *puts file under lock* Uh, yeah, the fic's right there. But I thought you didn't want lemon within the first chapter before a plot fell in. That would have been a very painfully bout for Ryou. I felt like I owed Ryou something since I keep beating him up.  
  
Ryou: Arigato.  
  
Authoress: Where did you come from?  
  
Ryou: *is gone*  
  
Authoress: *blinks* Okay…lets go back to the original AN now.  
  
I really am fond of all the reviewers. I got TWENTY-SEVEN! That is three more than last time. Yay! Thank you all!  
  
*hugs reviewers*  
  
I almost didn't update this week because my mom's friend was given orders not to permit me internet access. I finally logged on while the woman was outside [my dad can't afford anything above dial up, dang it]. I was also gone Thursday morning through Saturday night of LAST week on a three-day trip. I wrote this chapter the afternoon I came back, so forgive any hastiness in it and grammar errs. I also got my friend a fanfiction.net account before it started thunderstorming. I'm sorry about all this weather, but it's tornado season (ever seen the movie "Twister"?). If I don't update for four straight weeks, my house is in Oz.   
  
I have a new CD now that is inspiring my sequel a bit. It is "What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art, and Commerce" by the Goo Goo Dolls. It has 22 tracks. Very long CD. I was trying to read some Seto/Ryou fics with it on. I kept getting distracted by the songs and wrote some new fan fics and plot outlines. They are not published yet, but I'll consider it.  
  
I'll request at least 10 reviews because I feel like it. Okay? 10 reviews.  
  
This week's question:  
  
B.B. King's guitars are called "Lucille". If you know who B.B. King is [some people don't, actually], do you know why he named the instrument "Lucille"?   
  
This is one of those questions I can't answer for you now. Sorry! I'll let you all know next update. If you know the answer, yay!  



	16. Chapter 16: Killing Is Easy

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.  
  
THANKS AND COMMENTS:  
  
HIKARI CHERRY WOLF: Yami Bakura is now kawaii? God help us all. or just Ryou.  
  
ARURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Bakura took some happiness medication, he is considerably more chipper this chapter. So much as to annoy Ryou, actually.  
  
RAYNE: You want another chapter like last chapter; all anguish filled and stuff? OKAY! I can do that very easily!  
  
FALLING LEAVES: Okay *bows dramatically* I have written [typed] more!  
  
MALIK'SGURL: Okay, another lover of this story. {Stiggy: *wink, wink*}. Look at that! I updated!  
  
ELBERETH GILTHONIEL: Yes, I figured I'd stick to the basics with the whole Ryou-anguish plot. It's not to bad, I'm only on two hundred reviews now.  
  
ASHURI CHAN: Who cares for Ryou, Bakura or Malik? Uh.I don't know. This fic kind of cuts off at the ending. Hehe.. So does "Plans". I have to stop doing that kind of ending.  
  
ELLE-FATE2X1: Don't worry; Ryou doesn't die. Neither did I; I updated!  
  
CHEESEPUFF: Bakura is in this chapter too. Yes!  
  
SINCERE ANGEL: I can't get over the idea that people like my descriptions. I think they are so boring. I read the Lord of the Rings way too many times.  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: Yay! You can read now! It is my opinion Malik can be a nice guy. I mean, he's just a tad bit.damaged in a way. He isn't so cynical and sadistic after Battle City as I've seen, read, whatever. And no, that is NOT Marik you see in Battle City so far one YTV. Yami Malik doesn't come until the players board the airship and Rishid [(((*Odion] loses to Jou. Trust me, Malik's hair gets bigger and he starts trying to KILL people. Hikari Malik [oxymoron] stops his insanity after Alcetraz and pretty much just disappears. Malik actually wants the Pharaoh dead and all that stuff till the end of Battle City. I think the Tauk being proved wrong lifted his spirits a bit because he hates the idea of destiny and junk. ......I also prefer Isis to Ishizu. My friends had to learn all the original names. I keep saying Jounounchi, Anzu, Ryou, and Honda. They were all really lost on Otogi. I now keep stopping myself and saying something like "Otog-duke". It sounds funny when I talk fast.....My story has lots of reviews? I know some stories that have more than me, actually. I hope my other fic "Plans" pulls a stig [stigmatized] on me and starts getting more reviews after chapter ten. That would be awesome.  
  
TOKYOGAL89: Will you look at that, I updated.  
  
DRAGGY: Nothing will happen in Romania. This fic isn't long enough to go into another country.  
  
YOKOMON52: Sadly, my mother found "Sorry For You". *runs off screaming* Read the ending AN's to see.  
  
ESCURO DE LA LUS: Quote: "Question: Does Malik have a thing for Ryou or something? Because he sure acted like it throughout this chapter."---------- --What do you think the answer to that question is? Did I not make it obvious enough?.....Otogi is awesome. *ish drooling at DDM anime dubbed poster on wall* Me loves Otogi. My preciouuusssss.. *is holding tap with DDM recorded on it*  
  
A.K.A TALENTLESS: You read my other ficcies? Yay! *ish proud* Malik lives!  
  
RAIN STYORMZ: No, Lucille was not a woman B.B. King loved. It will be explain in the ANs.  
  
ANGELUS2040: Here's another chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Some stuff is explained in this chapter. There's some personification of death and a mass murder of sorts, but that's it, really. I think chapter sixteen is the depressing one. This is also. *clears throat*.ADRIENNE AND SELINA'S LAST CHAPTER! YAY!  
  
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*  
  
Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 16: Killing Is Easy  
  
Ryou didn't leave his room for the rest of the night. After falling asleep for a short time, he was awakened by someone knocking heavily on the door. They had given up, seeing Ryou was not being very responsive. The boy then waited for another person to come. It was strange, being alone in the room, not really even thinking about anything. Ryou just waited. Someone was going to open the door eventually because he had just unlocked it.  
  
"Good morning, Ryou," a voice finally greeted, coming in.  
  
"Hello, Father," Ryou nodded courteously.  
  
"Ryou, you know I'm going to Romania tomorrow, right?"  
  
Ryou looked up, surprised, "You said a few days."  
  
"Yes, I did. Literally I meant one whole day and then the next I'm gone on a plane."  
  
"Do you want me to go with you, Father?"  
  
"That's what I can to ask. Do you want to come along or not? I can set everything up and I'll be able to send you home again when school starts."  
  
Ryou looked down, thinking. He bit at his lower lip in consideration of the options. He could easily leave without telling the Spirit of the Ring since they could no longer communicate. I could be just Ryou and his father in Romania, no Malik, no Yami, no Yuugi, and, thank gods, no Selina or Adrienne. Of course, the boy could always stay home where all this was and more. Maybe if he went to Eastern Germany, he could try to forget his problems amongst thousand-year-old sites and archeologists who seem almost older than their fields of study. Maybe he could learn something.  
  
That, or get himself lost in a forest.  
  
"Sure," he answered, "I'll go with you, Father. I assure you, the spirit will not be trailing behind."  
  
The man's arching brow relayed his surprise at this agreement. Ryou never liked to go with his father anyplace.  
  
"You better pack up then, Ryou. We're leaving tomorrow morning."  
  
"Yes, sir," Ryou replied. The man nodded slowly and exited, his son closing the door behind him. The boy listened to the fading footsteps before pulling out his suitcase from under the bed.  
  
*===*===*===*===*  
  
The Yami Bakura walked in while his Hakari was going through a selection of clothes.  
  
"Where are you going, child?" he asked with the common growl that never seemed to leave his tone.  
  
"Romania with Father." Ryou answered calmly.  
  
"When did I say it was okay to take a trip?" the Fiend barked in annoyance.  
  
"You never did. I made the choice to go. I don't need to listen to you, remember?" Ryou informed his other side casually, folding shirts and placing them in the open suitcase neatly. He was seemingly ignoring the spirit.  
  
"Well, sorry to burst you little independence bubble, Mortal," the Fiend replied, kicking the lid to the case closed and crouching to the boy's eye level, "But I need to test something with you."  
  
"What?" Ryou asked nervously, looking up, "Do you mean by 'test'?"  
  
"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out, isn't it?" the Spirit taunted.  
  
"This isn't something I'm going to seriously regret, is it?"  
  
"Well, assuming you regret the fact that I'm talking to you right now, I'm not too sure I can answer that, Child. But, of course, you've always hated your time with me, so I really don't see a problem."  
  
Ryou watched his Dark, still alarmed and anxious. The spirit shook his head and smirked at this.  
  
"Fine, would you feel any better if I promise not you hurt you." he paused, ".that much?"  
  
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly.  
  
"I don't know why I'm doing this, but since I doubt I have much of a choice," the Fiend's smile broadened, "I suppose I have to go. But, I must say, it would prove much better if I knew what in the word you are going to do. I also doubt it will not hurt." he paused, mimicking the spirit, ".that much."  
  
"You know," the Fiend, announced, grabbing Ryou's arm roughly, "I could slap you for such disrespect." He was soon dragging the boy outside.  
  
"And you haven't? Gee, somebody's sure chipper today. What'd you do, kill Malik?" Ryou asked as their distance from the house grew.  
  
"Ha! You wish, Fool!"  
  
"Actually, I don't but I'd like to know why you're so happy today. You re- discover alcohol or something."  
  
"You are starting to sound a little too much like that Idiot Ishtar."  
  
"Am I?"  
  
"Yes, Mortal, you sound stupid, difficult, and conceited. Congratulations. You must be so proud of yourself."  
  
Ryou didn't reply to this. He winched at the grip on his arm that was not loosening at all.  
  
"You're cutting off my circulation, where are we going?"  
  
"I have a lesson for you."  
  
Ryou paled at this. Lessons were not good things at all when taught by the Fiend. The maniac's idea of discipline wasn't for any reasonable class.  
  
"Wha-what will I be learning, Spirit?"  
  
"Basically how to kill something for me. Don't worry, it isn't hard if you pay attention for once."  
  
"WHAT?" Ryou asked in surprise, stopping dead. The Spirit glared at him, annoyed. Slowly he started to drag Ryou, forcing the boy to walk or get severely beaten by the ground.  
  
"Oh to Ra, you fool!" the Spirit exclaimed as they reached a vacant lot, "Killing is essential. Anything can kill, it just need to present itself properly to the victim. You have some pathetic excuse for power now, it's about time you learned what *I* want you to do with it."  
  
Ryou stared at him dumbly in shock and disgust.  
  
"You want me to kill?"  
  
"Yes," the Fiend answered, pulling the boy deeper into the alley.  
  
"You want me to kill?" Ryou asked again, in a terrified voice.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you idiot! It's one of the easiest tricks to learn. And, I mean, it not like you never ended a life before."  
  
"Come again?" Ryou asked slowly, trying to clear his thoughts.  
  
"Child, God knows how many insects and vermin you've destroyed, much less that fool Pegasus," the Spirit informed him.  
  
"Yami, I didn't kill that guy!" Ryou defended while the Spirit smirked at him.  
  
"That's what YOU think. I've done so much through you, made you do so many things. Not on all your fingers and toes could you count them. Believe me, your hands have killed before."  
  
"But that doesn't count against me, I didn't know."  
  
"Whatever makes you feel better. Right now you must pay attention. It may help you kill less hideously."  
  
"What exactly do you mean by hideously?" Ryou asked, straining nervously in the Fiend's grip.  
  
"Hemorrhaging and such things tend to happen. If you listen like a good little boy and do as you are told, the victim will drop, no sound, no mess. It is very important you aren't distracted."  
  
Ryou swallowed with a pathetic gulp, "Uh, thanks for the tip, but I'm not going to go off and start killing people."  
  
"No, you wouldn't do that unless I did it for you," the Spirit sighed, "I never expected you to be the one to murder in cold blood, that's why we're here."  
  
Ryou looked around the dark wet alley. He had no idea why they were there.  
  
"Spirit, I hope you know I consider the homeless humans too," he said nervously.  
  
His dark smirked and muttered slightly how stupid Ryou was before using his free arm to display the area before them.  
  
"What you don't understand yet, since your mind merely cannot grasp what is not shoved and tied down before it, is that this certain alley contains and excessive amount of rodents."  
  
"Oh.." Ryou trail, watching the vermin crawl about in the shadow around the dumpsters and metal structures that were difficult to make out.  
  
"Well of course. Like I said, I'd have to force you to harm anything with the slightest inkling of humanity about it. This location is perfect because if you really are terrible with slaughter, it will not be so noticeable." The Spirit replied, letting Ryou see the logic in the decision. The boy nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Now, you've never used Shadow Powers before. In reality, opposite what that screwed Pharaoh likes to think, performing spells and the like is not really that difficult, as he would lead you to believe. None of it has to be a large production of sorts. Trust me, that fool says it's "oh, so hard" because he makes it like that, understood?"  
  
Ryou just stared, confused, "But the Ring, its cold."  
  
"Which explains why you can do so much more now if I teach you. A lot more power runs through you unchecked, Child. The Ring usually filters this all for you, so you don't notice the small current of superiority that runs through you and every other idiot with a Millennium Item, separating you from the true Mortals. You stopped being completely human after you linked to the Sennen Ring. Vice versa happened to me. Of course, I was always strong; I am still the strongest Bakura. You have such lovely powers and you don't know how to do anything with them."  
  
"How do you know this?" Ryou asked, a bit uncertain.  
  
"I got it off that stranger, Shaddi. It wasn't easy. Where did you think I was while you were messing around with that Ishtar?"  
  
"Did he know why I couldn't eat?"  
  
"He's not a god, Idiot, he doesn't know everything."  
  
"Did he mean to say I was stronger than you?" Ryou asked, in awe.  
  
The Spirit almost doubled over laughing. Ryou glared at him.  
  
"In your dreams, boy!" the Yami sneered, "I outrank you in experience. I can still banish souls and everything you cannot. Teaching you to kill is nothing since you may never use it."  
  
"You're confusing me," Ryou sighed.  
  
"Good, lets keep it that way," the Spirit, "Lets carry on with this lesson."  
  
Ryou nodded, not even trying to understand what his Dark had just said. He watched all the rats around him instead.  
  
"Now, to kill is very easy. You hardly realize what your doing. All that has to be done is for you to pick a victim and mentally lead death to it."  
  
Ryou blinked in confusion at the information, "Huh?"  
  
"Pretend you are commanding death where to go. The quicker and more easily you call, the cleaner the kill. If you are terrified and/or nervous, the death will reflect this and look horrible and slow because you are so divided. Panicking is also not good, as death panics and makes a big mess. You want to be suave and cold hearted. Picture death a minion, a child at your control. It will do its job when told, but if you waver it is unsure."  
  
Ryou looked at him in surprise, "So you're saying death is almost human?"  
  
"No," the Fiend shrugged, "Personification of a force usually helps you understand it. In reality I have no idea what death is like because I have never met it or experienced it like you will someday.hopefully, unless this malfunction helps you somehow."  
  
"I don't want to live forever, Yami," Ryou pined slightly.  
  
"Do you think I want to die, fool?" the spirit snapped slightly. Ryou shook his head, watching the rodents in the alley.  
  
"Lets continue now. All you have to try to do is picture you personification of death, the Grim Reaper, Ace of Spades, whatever, rushing to your victim to destroy it."  
  
Ryou nodded at this, looking towards the gutter. Crawling next to the water was a large, greasy black rat with shiny eyes. Its tail dragged limply behind it as the creature waddled forward, obviously coming home after glutting itself over some feast. Its sides were grossly swollen with food and disease. The animal was disgusting. Ryou actually wanted it dead, he wanted to kill it.fast. He could see the darkness of death closing in quickly to rid humanity of such horrible creatures. They did not need to live, spreading illness and glorifying the gutters with their mess. Ryou hardly notice he was actually killing the rat. There was next to no effort. He just watched silently as the vermin stopped it progression. The slick, furry torso stopped moving in its' slow, content rhythm.  
  
"Stop it!"  
  
Ryou heard his Dark ordering him to cease.something. He was too focused on watching the rat, dead as a rock. It was so awkward and fascinating. A pain suddenly filled his brain from his knees. Ryou's legs went numb for a few seconds and he tipped over, colliding with the wall.  
  
"Owe!" Ryou exclaimed as feeling rushed to his mind. He winched as the Fiend grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to look him in the face. The spirit appeared angry.  
  
"I said kill ONE, you fool!" he hissed.  
  
"Didn't I?" Ryou asked nervously.  
  
"Yeah, plus one hundred and more. All the rats died. What were you trying to do, rid humanity of the pests?" the Spirit scowled.  
  
"No," Ryou replied before he remembered how the thought had crossed his mind.  
  
"I didn't tell you, it's usually best to picture the one thing you're trying to kill dead, not it's entire species. Understood?"  
  
Ryou nodded slowly.  
  
The two sat in silence for a few minutes in the now still alley. None of the furry bodies they could see shown any life.  
  
"Well, this place is rat free, thanks to you," the spirit remarked, standing up, "Lets go find some mortals."  
  
"I'm not hurting people!" Ryou gasped as the Fiend grabbed his arm again.  
  
"I don't expect you to, child. I want you the read their minds."  
  
Ryou looked up in surprise and blinked.  
  
"You can read minds?"  
  
"I'm joking," the Fiend corrected, "If I could do that, you'd be doomed."  
  
Ryou stood and let the spirit drag him away from the dead rodents. He didn't want to be near when they started to rot away. The poor citizens and business nearby would suffer greatly. There would be reports and questions. Everyone would be confused.  
  
"So then I said, no way, you're like a friggen faggot, Johnny."  
  
Ryou stopped dead and turned back as fast as he could, dragging the annoyed Yami behind him. He recognized the voice around the corner.  
  
"What is it, Child?" the Spirit growled at him.  
  
"Is there any other way home, Yami?" Ryou asked nervously, eyeing the corner like doom was on the other side.  
  
"Awe, are you shy?" the Fiend mocked, hearing the girls' voices.  
  
"Like, Ryou, is that you?"  
  
"Oh God." the boy muttered as the Spirit sneered. The whole group of people heard Adrienne's question and turned in the same direction. Ryou's heart rate sped up as he began to panic. The many footsteps started in his towards him. The Yami kept him from running with his hand on the child's arm.  
  
"Do you know these people, Hikari?" the Spirit asked mockingly as Ryou was trying not to break out in a nervous sweat. He shook his head vigorously as the group got closer and the Fiend laughed at him.  
  
"Oh, well I think you should introduce them. I would like to meet the people in your world."  
  
"You can't be serious-" Ryou started, but was cut off by the other's approach.  
  
"Ryou, it that like, you?" Selina asked, coming into view.  
  
Ryou, unable to escape, nodded meekly. The Spirit smirked at him and tapped his shoulder, pointing to the others. The Fiend was asking for an introduction..  
  
"Like, who is that, Ryou?" Adrienne asked, eyeing the Yami exquisitely.  
  
""Oh, that's, uh, Bakura." he lied. The Spirit continued grinning superiorly.  
  
"Who are you friends, little Hikari?" he asked, looking at the group.  
  
"Like, allow me to so introduce myself!" Adrienne exclaimed, "I'm Adrienne."  
  
"And I'm like, Selina," the other girl sang.  
  
"Oh, hello then. Ryou hasn't told me just so much about you," the Fiend greeted, pleasant, yet insulting Ryou like he was five. The boy watched his feet. He didn't know what he was going to do about this. He stayed silent and listened.  
  
To the boy's surprise, the Yami was a hit with the group (especially the girls). Ryou just leaned against the wall as the suddenly suave spirit talked and flattered. At that moment he hated the Fiend who was poking fun at him in conversation and acting so weirdly different. It wasn't right, the Daemon would snap. Not even Ryou could stand the group that long. But all that could be done was to wait till the Fiend started the faux pas trip. The Spirit was a good actor but Ryou could see right through it all. The Yami was doing this to annoy him.  
  
It was working very well. Ryou listened disgusted to a group of girls laughing stupidly at something that was more of an insult to Selina than a joke. Ryou kept glaring at the wall before him. He was angry at the Spirit. How long were they going to be there?  
  
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*  
  
AN: I took a little creative license there. I don't know if Yami's can kill except in those punishment games. I just really wanted to do that to Ryou, Hehe..  
  
NOTHING HAPPENS IN ROMANIA! My story ends in a few chapters, okay? I can't do anything in that short a time [no vampires]. I have just been reading about people in Romania and all the ancient cultures around there.  
  
If you didn't know, this story was at first supposed to be about five chapters and some pretty interesting Yaoi (Ryou was supposed to be hunted down by the Spirit successfully). Hehe, which did not happen [damn, 16 chapters now?]. Also, all lemon/lime has been wished away by certain authorities and their monthly checks. My mother went through ALL my fics and deleted every one of the past chapters to Stigmatized I've already published.  
  
The only thing my mom didn't delete was "Plans" [thank you merciful celestial beings] because she thought it was "cute" (she was obviously choosing to over look the gay characters). And my Otogi fic was also safe since there was not a single lover relationship.  
  
Everything else: Gone.  
  
So, I shortened this chapter and I rearrange a bit of everything, but the ending is still the same. Yay!  
  
Answer to last weeks question:  
  
Lucille is the name of B.B. King's guitar. The reason for this is that when King first started playing gigs in bars, he had only one guitar. This guitar was very important since it was how he made his living. One time at a bar, he had finished playing and left the guitar on stage to go somewhere else. While he was gone, two men got in a fight and knocked over the coal stove [B.B. King is OLD]. The place stared to burn down but King had to run back in to get his guitar. Afterwards he found out the fight had been started because the two men where fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named his guitar like so to remind himself never to be so stupid as to leave his instrument on stage. I doubt he has to really worry about that now though, but Gibson makes "Lucille" guitars in Memphis.  
  
No question this update! Yay! 


	17. Chapter 17: Just Stop Asking!

*===*===*===*===*  
  
  
  
Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.   
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
ALLENBY: Sorry I didn't update so fast. I've been preoccupied.  
  
SHADOW HAWK: I don't like the blondes either. That was truly their last chapter. Yay!  
  
AURORA BELMONT VAMPIRE HUNTER: Yami Bakura is a good actor. I think it's a requirement at Evil Yami Taking Over The World School.  
  
YAMI KRISSY: I delete fics now. ……………… Everyone seems to feel sorry for the rats.  
  
NONAME: The shrimp is the point of a cocktail? I wonder why Ryou needs a moat. I guess he's taken the phrase "My home is my castle" a bit too literally.  
  
ELLE-FATE2X1: I am saving a bit on disks, but I tend to lose those or forget to label them. I'm deleting this chapter as soon as it's up.  
  
RENNE THE RABID SQUIRREL: I do not have a program with passwords. Ma could probably pass through it though since she is a computer genius. I have made it a note not to leave my computer at other people's though. She looks through everything when I go places, like school. Errr….  
  
TOKYOGAL89: I don't know why I made Ryou kill rats. I guess I was angry.  
  
HIKARICHERRYWOLF: No! Kawaii-Chibi-Yami-Bakura! [imagine _that_ adorning a postcard home]  
  
ASHURI CHAN: Yes, mom is bothersome there. I'm glad you like the chapter.  
  
ESCURO DE LA LUS: I guess this chapter might qualify as confusing twist. I don't know. I'll let readers decide.  
  
KAEHIMI: I'm glad you didn't shoot yourself. Then you couldn't read more! ………….. My mom actually knows a lot about computers too. She can bring up deleted files. I'm trying to inconspicuously get her to show me how. ……………. Will you look at that, I updated. ………………… I was reorganizing my faves and one of you're stories is in there. I'm like "Hey, that name is vaguely familiar" and decided I should look at it. I had to log off though. I don't know what half the fics in my faves are about, so I'm going to look through that… when I have time. *glares at calculus exam*  
  
A.K.A. TALENTLESS: I forgot to thank you for you're chapter seven review on "Plans." Don't worry, I thanked you in chapter nine nice and long and rambled a bit. ………. Whee! That means you read more than one of my fics! Yay!  
  
THE-DARK-ONE: I like plots very much. I do not write hentai at all anymore. My old Mediaminor account has been forsaken. I forgot the penname anyway. ……………. You know what is sad? This chapter was supposed to be nice and limey [Lemon would be rated R, this is PG13] but that dream died under the delete button. So I cut that out. Awe! I'm planning a new fic after this though… a lime Malik/Ryou ^_~…………… I think you're going to find this chapter humorous because Ryou goes a bit insane on his Yami. But it's also kind of sad. ………………… I you want to read another fic of mine and have nothing to strong against Seto/Ryou; you ought to read "Plans". It reached over 100 reviews one chapter before Stiggy. I like it. I can't believe *I* wrote the thing. It's long and funny and depressing all at once. Reviewers seem to like it. There's a lobster too and Yami no Bakura driving people insane.  
  
DRAGGY: I don't know why I killed those rats. I guess I was frustrated. It's either I kill the rats or scream at the wall. Seeing as affronting to an inanimate barrier tends to freak some people out, I killed rats in a fanfic.   
  
ONLYHAUNTED: I like the killing too, and I don't care what anyone has to say about it  
  
JIMBINY LUPIN-WOOD: No, you're going to sent my history teacher over! Is two hours not enough to suffer her horrible treatment? How could you? *runs off screaming*  
  
MARMALADEGIRL: Yes, this story is very bad with grammar. People are use to it now, though, so if I publish something perfectly done, they will die or something. It's almost done anyway.  
  
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK: Finally, I updated! Yay!  
  
SILVERWULF: Well-rounded critiques are considerably more interesting than "Update soon!" I guess. …………. Yay, another person who has me in a favorite area! That makes around thirty or twenty-nine; I have to check. That's cool. I haven't even been on FF.net for a year yet either. ……………… Read your bio. You like most of my favorite musical groups. Cool. How do you feel about Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison, and James Taylor? Some of my faves are more seventies actually [Led Zeppelin!], but still good. I was just happy at the Oasis and Duran Duran listing.  
  
R AMYTHEST: Yes, I know the 2.45, but for practical application I round usually round things. Drives my mom crazy, she's one of those logical, computer genius, math expert, left-handed peoples. She doesn't see how the right-handed mind works and I don't understand her either. There's a mutual confusion there we live around the best we can. ……………. No, I am not Chinese. I'm actually a Polish/Irish/Various European Others who knows too many Pacific Islanders and Orientals for sure sanity. My mom actually likes country music more than anything. And what does my "chicken scratch" terminology have to do with anything? I'm curious.  
  
NADAKO-MIKA: Yes, even though it gets cliché, mortal/spirit switches are still pretty interesting.  
  
YOKOMON52: Yes, it was terrible [the deleting], but I'm recovering nicely. When school ends I will be much better.  
  
  
  
Whee, we get to hit ALL the clichés this chapter! What fun! Remember to thank Fuel (that rock group from Australia, got album as present) for motivating me to write this chapter with "Bad Day" on their CD playing the repeat for two hours. This chapter has nothing to do with the song though.  
  
  
  
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Stigmatize  
  
Chapter 17: Just Stop Asking!  
  
  
"Well, that's a nice group of mortals. Rather shallow, but all the more easy to fool. Don't you agree?" the Fiend laughed as him and Ryou walked out of hearing of the group.  
  
"I wouldn't know, I was to busy throwing up from disgust." Ryou snapped, annoyed.  
  
"Watch it, child. I can't kill you, but I could still contrive a sufficient means to torture you by."  
  
"Oh, I'll try not to tempt you then," Ryou replied as they continued down the street. He kicked roughly at a wastebasket. Several trash items fell due to this.  
  
"Dear, dear, polluting now?" the Spirit scowled mockingly, "What happened to Save the Environment Boy?"  
  
"He's dead," Ryou informed the spirit, kicking a can across the sidewalk, watching it smack stupidly into a tree, and stopping. It was almost like a bird crashing into a windshield or a window. Humorous.  
  
"Really? When did he die?" the Yami asked.  
  
"When I stopped caring," Ryou grumbled in frustration, "When I stopped caring about everything."  
  
"That's a lie," the Fiend stated.  
  
Ryou didn't respond. He stared at the cement as far away the sun set in all its glory of clichés. Tomorrow he would be on a series of plane trips to Romania. Oh joy!  
  
"You've always care, fool," the Fiend continued, "You care how others feel, which is an admittedly odd trait. And you say things are good when they obviously can never be, that I'm right when I know I am wrong and all those ridiculous things. It's pathetic."  
  
"Are you saying I'm some kind of retard, Yami?"  
  
"No, just kind stupid," Ryou raised an eyebrow at this, "In an interesting way. You are, I should say, horribly ignorant. I hurt you and you respect me? Personally, I'd hate me or anyone being dominant. You succeed in the vice versa, strangely enough. I find you think the craziest things for a person in your fallible position."  
  
Ryou nodded at this, "I do believe I am alone."  
  
"Yes, which is weird because I'm standing right here-do you ever wake up from the melodramatic?" the Spirit asked.  
  
"No," Ryou answered grimly.  
  
"Oh, to Ra! Where is that velvet curtain that follows you? Time to pull the cloth down and prepare for acts three: Yami Bakura goes to Romania. Better brush up on your lines, I hear it's a death scene."  
  
Ryou uncharacteristically furrowed his brow at this, "Yami goes to Romania. Strange, I swear I saw Hikari there."  
  
"Don't do your eyebrows like that, child. It isn't you," the spirit noted.  
  
"Ehem, Yami goes to Romania?" Ryou repeated.  
  
"Oh yes, I'm packing up and leaving, not you. Since you seem to enjoy your oh-so-very-precious-aloneness, I suppose my leaving won't affect that much, eh? It's not like I can stand you anyway, so peculiar and my opposite in apparently _everything_. Domino is getting very boring. I need change."  
  
"But Romania? Yami, do you have any idea how far away that is?" Ryou asked, surprised.  
  
"Yes, I'm not a fool like you," the Fiend replied.  
  
"Yami," Ryou sighed, looking at him desperately, "Do you even care about me?"  
  
"Most certainly not," the spirit replied, brushing the boy aside and walking forward roughly.  
  
Ryou look at the ground for nothing else he wanted to see than were he wished he were. Six feet down and forgotten.  
  
"Why?" he asked quietly.  
  
The Ring Spirit turned around and looked at him. He quickly surveyed the boy, shrugging, "You're pathetic. Can you ever stand up to anyone for once?"  
  
"I can't, Bakura. I can't do anything to you. I want you to see me, not hate me." Ryou informed him, near tears.  
  
"Oh, I understand," the Spirit nodded, "So you are fine complaining about what you see wrong with me, hoping your desperation will make me conform. But, when I'm letting you take a look at things on my side it's a 'so sorry I can't change because I want you to instead, Yami'. Well, I wish you were different too, child."  
  
Ryou blinked at this in surprise. The Fiend continued,  
  
"I cannot stand your idiotic kindness. You are weak and I used to want to change that every second I saw you. I do not want love. I wished to see hate and strength, not worship and mindlessness!" the Spirit snapped, glaring still.  
  
"So why Romania?" Ryou asked, his voice hardly audible.  
  
The Spirit shrugged again angrily. He glared at the swiftly darkening sky.  
  
"All you've ever done is beg and hope. I need a change because I cannot fix your unbreakable belief of goodness in pretty much everything. I need to get as far away from this failure as is physically possible. I dislike you now because you have proven I cannot always be correct. Everyone knows to hate me but you. I don't understand any of it, so I'm leaving."  
  
"Yami, you can't just run away from a problem." Ryou admonished the spirit lightly.  
  
"Oh, I can and I am. That's what you did, isn't it? Your problem was me, so as soon as you spurted you opinions, you made tracks to avoid me," the spirit spat back, causing Ryou to stop complaining.  
  
For a bit the two simply stared at each other. Suddenly, Ryou smirked and very nearly broke out into laughter.  
  
"What's so funny, Mortal?" the Fiend snapped.  
  
Ryou chuckled again before answering.  
  
"You. Me. The both of us. We've spread a fantastic web of reality from our opinions and beliefs and now the two of us are quite stuck. I am the neglected wanting love and this makes you uncomfortable. You'd only just love to see hate and broken dejection from me. We are quite the opposite, aren't we? What a pair we make!"  
  
"Have you been drinking water again, Hikari? That isn't funny."  
  
"No, you're right," Ryou agreed before grinning insanely, "It's hilarious! Neither of us will get our way till the other changes completely, assimilates to what the never wanted to be. We may never reach a compromise because I'm terrified to act opposing and you're too stubborn to think of love and all those other little components," Ryou sang almost enthusiastically. As far as his Yami knew, the boy had gone insane.  
  
Oh wait, he already was.  
  
"What _where_ you doing while I was talking to those blondes?" the Spirit asked in annoyance.  
  
Ryou couldn't answer. He didn't know what he was doing now. Letting out another daft expression, he continued to ramble.  
  
"Why did you talk to them though, Spirit? Was it that-"  
  
Ryou was cut off as Yami Bakura grabbed him by the shoulders and spun him around. The boy feared the very worst.  
  
"Yami, I-"  
  
Ryou froze as the warm lips pressed his own colder pair. His dark held tightly, making Ryou want to call out in pain at the two strong clamps holding him, bruising most likely. The grip lightened slightly as the Spirit's tongue entered the boy's mouth. Soon Ryou found the hands were actually just holding him up as his pathetic knees had given up any effort to stand. He waited for it to end and the Fiend to drop him. It was getting so confusing, but kissing had to be a good sign.  
  
"You're crazy," the Yami muttered after breaking away. Ryou just stared at him, speechless as the Spirit scowled slightly, admonishing his hikari's vivid insanity,  
  
"You don't know anything, fool."  
  
Ryou stayed silent. He wanted very much to kiss his dark again. He wanted it badly. But, he couldn't do anything. He wasn't the one in charge.  
  
"I'm going to leave tomorrow and you can't change my mind, child. No matter how mental you act. I don't want to be here any longer than necessary."  
  
Ryou opening his mouth to go against this, but the words where all turned into weak choking with only a semblance of meaning. He couldn't say anything.  
  
"Come on," the Spirit ordered, walking away again in the direction of the house. Ryou obeyed silently. He didn't speak till they were inside and his dark was unpacking the large suitcase on the floor. Apparently Ryou's style didn't fit his Yami's taste.  
  
"Yami?"  
  
The spirit grunted in acknowledgement. Ryou hesitated for a few seconds before asking the question that was bothering him, had been bothering him for weeks, months, and a pretty much year or more actually (once he thought about it, that is).  
  
"Do you love me?"  
  
The Spirit remained impassive, folding a pair of socks calmly.  
  
"I think I already answered that one."  
  
Ryou shook his head, "No, that was if you cared. I just want to know if you love me even a little bit."  
  
The spirit seemed still to not care till Ryou saw he had folded the exact same pair of socks threes times. This was interesting.  
  
"Yes," the fiend admitted, "But not as a person. I love the fact you're the reason I'm here right now."  
  
Ryou sighed at this sadly. He should have known better than to be hopeful at his Yami's first yes.  
  
"Are you sure you don't love me any further?" Ryou asked with no coherent reason in his mind why.  
  
"Ryou," the fiend snapped getting up and facing his light, "Why do you mind?"  
  
"I-"  
  
"Just stop asking!" The Fiend ordered, "I've let you run your questions and now you're repeating yourself. You've obviously run out of ideas."  
  
Ryou blinked at him, suffering the speechlessness that settled when his Yami was upset. He watched the Spirit walk angrily to the exit.  
  
"I'm done with this," the Yami muttered, exiting. Ryou stared at the door as it almost closed lightly. He could see the hall where his dark was leaving, turning, and finally out of sight.  
  
Ryou didn't bother to close the door the rest of the way. Silently he just watched it from the other side of the room as he crawled into bed. The boy was tired but knew for a fact he wouldn't sleep. He simply could not.  
  
  
*===*===*===*===* (AN: Oh, how I wanted to end there, but I'm nice since I haven't updated two weeks in a row.)  
  
  
Ryou was lying in bed facing the wall when his Yami returned. He listened without moving as the Spirit finished packing the suitcase with almost silent stealth. He opened his eyes and stared at the wall intently as the Fiend lay next to him on top of the covers. Ryou didn't turn to look at his company, but his distant glaze over the wall softened.  
  
The Spirit didn't say anything as he reached out and held Ryou against him. The boy flinched slightly, still absorbed in his wall watching. He felt his darks newly warm body against him and wanted to think he was loved and needed. He knew in his mind this wasn't so. His heart was of a different opinion, but then, hearts were a hearts, messes of feelings and painful emotions without eyes to see their folly or brains to comprehend what was the logical thing to do. All these together made a relaxing unity, but Ryou had never been "all together" ever. No one else had or ever would be either.  
  
"You're confusing me," he informed the other holding him quietly, making sure not to ask another question.  
  
"That's good," the voice answered behind him..  
  
Ryou wanted to tell him it wasn't good, in fact, it was bad, very bad, but there was nothing he could say. He could just lie there and do nothing, not fix anything that was broken or breaking inside. He didn't know what to do.  
  
"Yami…" he started, wondering faintly if the Spirit was actually asleep.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
No sleeping, the Yami was awake. Still awake and waiting to leave in the morning. Ryou finished his statement before he lost his nerve.  
  
"I don't want you to go."  
  
"I have to," the Spirit informed him sternly, "And I will."  
  
Ryou felt like crying at this remark. He wanted to ask his Yami all the questions again. Why did he_ have _to go? Why didn't he care? What made him so difficult all the time? Did he love his hikari?  
  
"I love you anyway," Ryou stated for the record.  
  
"I know," the Yami sighed. Ryou couldn't tell if it was from sorrow, annoyance, or both. He looked briefly at the arms around him before continuing the wall ogling, waiting for the Spirit to go to sleep or something.  
  
Ryou still knew he couldn't sleep. He couldn't if he even wanted to. It was impossible.  
  
  
  
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*  
  
  
  
AN: Whee, nice stopping place, hm? I made it longer. My birthday present [for my birthday??] to all of you so I can spread the joy of being a year older to everyone!  
  
All my reviewers get leftover birthday cake! Yum! (My birthday was actually the twelfth on June, but it's still good. It's chocolate!) No drinks though, the party was during the school week and they would have disappeared anyway. Maybe you want some soda pop instead?  
  
Had to stay with my little brothers Saturday. They have so many Yu-Gi-Oh episodes on tape. It's frightening.  
  
Well, in a good way.  
  
They think Seto's gay, but I didn't tell them that. We where just watching YuGiOh and my brothers said it looked like Seto and Yami where "together" as well as the Dark and Light masks. "Umbra don't leave me here" REALLY clenched it for those two Ghouls as a pair.  
  
Oh, and one more thing they came up with: When Anzu was asking Seto what he had at the end of the day they made me collapse [they have watched the tap way too often]. Here's what they came up with for an alternative script. Another birthday favor because I thought it was funny, so cut me some slack here.  
  
_{Anzu: [blah, blah, blah] …What do you have at the end of the day, Seto Kaiba?  
  
Seto: I have Bakura. [my brothers use the dubbed names]  
  
*Insert sound of me collapsing in laughter and typing more chapters*  
  
Ryou: *high, shocked, effeminate voice* It was suppose to be a secret!  
  
Seto: Uh, I mean, I have enough. I have enough.  
  
Ryou: *injured* So, I'm just "enough"? You bitch!  
  
Honda: *falls to his knees in anguish* No! Why are ALL the good ones taken?  
  
Everyone else: -_-U  
  
Anzu: Uh, guys….}  
_  
They also thought it looked like Honda was grabbing Bakura's a-ehem (got to stop the profanity) during the Duel outside the castle and I quite agree. I can't believe my two brothers came up with this. They are saints around my mother and father. It was hilarious. It's good to know they are human and/or I'm not some kind of freak. Yay!  
  
I have to delete this as soon as it's update so people don't find it, even if it is on a floppy. Ma would kill over what I just did to Ryou. She knows how to find deleted files though. She some technological genius. You can't find delete files on floppies though. You delete stuff, save over it, and it's gone.  
  
Long AN. I have lots to say apparently after two weeks gone. 


	18. Chapter 18: Optimism

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Stigmatize - 1. To characterize as disgraceful; brand. 2. To mark with stigma  
  
-------- Stigma - 1. A mark or token of infamy or disgrace.  
  
While this describes Yami Bakura, the title is also mocking the authoress. It is my feel at this story so far if it represented me. Lots of love, eh? Go look up infamy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.   
  
  
  
COMMENTS & THANKS:  
  
HIKARY CHERRY WOLF: Damn, the review must have been about three pages. Awe, fluffy…. We all need a bit more fluff in our live, hm?  
  
MARMALADEGIRL: I don't know how long this story is. I was thinking about stopping here.  
  
DARKDRAGON: Lovely, how I take forever to update, eh?  
  
ASSASSIN OF THE SHADOWS: Everyone feels sorry for Ryou. I think someone needs a hug.  
  
GWINNY: Actually, _this_ may as well be the last chapter. Not any better though.  
  
CHEESEPUFF: I'm of the mind this fic is terrible. I'm not paying enough attention, argh…. I'm glad you like it though. It's rewarding.  
  
MALIK'SGURL: If you forgot to review chapter sixteen, you are forgiven.  
  
HAPPY YAOI LOVER: That it so weird, reading birthday wishes almost a month later. Wow….  
  
ANGELUS-2040: I didn't connect it to the chapter, but I've heard points of authority. My hole in the ground isn't too deep.  
  
KEMU: I picture Bakura on the plane hunched over and glaring-only to fall asleep in a car later on.  
  
A.K.A. TALENTLESS: Awe, I don't consider you stalker-ish. You review all my stories, yes, but the even brighter side (reviews are _great)_ is I now have your name memorized. That's you and about three others.  
  
KAEHIMI: Cake = good. Update = good. Writer's block = tired, uh, I mean bad.  
  
ONLYHAUNTED: Look, I continued. You can live.  
  
R AMYTHEST: Ha, well now most fics are confined to disks. *is happy*  
  
YOKOMON52: Yeah, I think Honda-kun was a bit angry after the Ryou/Seto. Heh, took it out on Yami Bakura when he was trying to take Mokuba.  
  
ASHURI CHAN: Look, I'm _still _writing. *gets off the ego train* Gomen, here's the next chapter.  
  
ESCURO DE LA LUS: *gets low and whispers so other reviewers can't hear* See, the reason I have to put _some_ fluff in is that people tend to get, well, bored. Don't worry, this chapter isn't too lovely. *smirks* It's not. *gets loud so all the curious reviewers go away* Oh, yeah, as I was saying, Malik is fine. He's in this chapter actually. ........ Congrats, I visited your site recently. Love the Otogi pics. *grins insanly*  
  
DRAGGY: Thank you. This chapter isn't as sweet.  
  
RENEE THE RABID SQUIRREL: Everyone loves the cake. This is the second time I've given away nonexistent items in a fic.  
  
DRAGONEYES: I have AOL, I don't know if the Yahoo thing would work.  
  
YAMI KRISSY: Yes, there is more! This is the _last _more! Make sure all you voices see it!  
  
NADAKO-MIKA: Yeah, Ryou is spirit and Yami Bakura is mortal. There's a better definition, but it escapes me now.  
  
THE CHAOTIC ONES: Ryou doesn't die…. I have yet to kill a character [physically].  
  
MIMIRU: I've had to change my name too from "The Evil Laugh" to "A Laugh That's Evil" to avoid people. Once my joint authorship with The Evil Laugh ended (she has her own name now), it became "Just Ego," which may change to avoid even _more_ people I know. …………. Awe, I was getting good at remembering your name had two 'l's and now I can't spell it at all (copy&paste). *grins* Gomen, I didn't update too soon.  
  
  
  
Look, the last real chapter. I really should look into my sequel. This took way too long, I'm sorry.  
  
Uh, yeah, just read. I don't know what else to say.  
  
  
  
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Stigmatized  
  
Chapter 17: Optimism  
  
  
Ryou was still watching the wall in the morning. He wasn't exactly sleeping, but he didn't know his Yami was gone till he heard the bedroom door close. The Spirit was saying something to the boy's father and kicking his suitcase down the hall. Another lay still on the floor.  
  
Quickly, Ryou tried to get up, forcing himself out of the mesh of blankets. The Fiend reentered the room as his light reached a sitting position only halfway free of the covers.  
  
The Spirit walked behind the boy and grabbed to two small shoulders lightly. He directed the body back down. Ryou was soon staring at him upside down.   
  
"You don't get up till I'm gone," the Spirit informed him. Ryou opened his mouth in protest.  
  
"But-"  
  
Once again the Yami thought it necessary to cut Ryou off with another kiss over the boy's lower lip. He caressed the skin softly with his mouth before pulling off and shushing the child. He brought his head up to stare into Ryou's eyes, his chin in the white hair and lips less than an inch away from the smooth pale forehead.  
  
Ryou was breathing heavily, looking up at him. There was the slightest trace of tears in his eyes from both sadness and anger. He silently waited for the Yami to speak.  
  
"You mustn't move until I'm gone, Hikari," the Fiend commanded in a quiet yet threatening voice, "I don't want to be delayed. You understand, Child, I have to go. Even if Romania is the middle of nowhere, at least I'll know where the middle of nowhere is. I suggest your sorry mind doesn't dwell on me too long."  
  
Ryou nodded quietly. The Fiend released him and retrieved his last piece of luggage. Ryou watched the Spirit cross the room and exit, his footsteps fading down the hall. He heard the deep voice speaking to the boy's father but the thick walls muffled it.   
  
At the sound, Ryou felt a pain in his chest, a heartbreaking wretch at his insides. He bolted from the bed and ran to the living room. The Fiend turned around glaring at him.  
  
"Don't leave me too!" the boy exclaimed, crying as he stopped, "Everyone leaves me here. I don't want to be left behind."  
  
"That's because no one can stand you, Mortal," the angry Fiend snapped, not looking Ryou straight in the eye.  
  
"But without you I'll be completely alone."  
  
"So, get over it," the Spirit shrugged coldly.  
  
"I know you say you hate me," Ryou continued, "But you stayed longer than anyone. You're always there, but if you leave it will prove you'd given up too. I just can't be made into you by you or anyone else, and my Father knows this too. I can't be like him, you know. He thinks he failed too. He can't stay in this place because, as you said, no one can really stand me."  
  
"Then why did he want to take you to Romania?" the Fiend asked sharply.  
  
"To see if I'd become interested in what he was doing. But now you're going instead. You are abandoning me."  
  
"Do you have a point to make before I go or are you just wasting my time? I'm getting bored," the Yami growled.  
  
"Yes, I do," Ryou replied, letting his voice get louder, more confident, "You'll miss me. You'll never forget me. While you can be miles away from my presence, you're a mirror away from my face, our face and expressions, your face. Have fun repressing."  
  
The Spirit grew instantly angry with the child and rushed at him.  
  
"Shut it!" he roared, knocking the boy down.  
  
Ryou lost his balance at the blow and fell back, his skull knocking the floor with a disturbing clunk. The Spirit did not flinch, just stared down emotionlessly. Quickly he grabbed his suitcase and left the room.  
  
Outside he tossed the bags into the boot of the car violently and slammed it shut.  
  
"Hurry, let's go," he commanded, getting in the passenger side. The boy's father started the care and sped out.  
  
  
*===*===*===*===*  
  
  
When Ryou came around again he knew the Spirit had been long gone with the boy's father. Malik, obviously as it was now safe, was soon to arrive. He looked at Ryou in shock.  
  
"Ryou, you're bleeding," he informed, seeing brown and rusty red on the usual white.  
  
"Am I?" Ryou asked vaguely.  
  
"Yes, there a cut on your forehead, Einstein," Malik answered, leaving to get a wet towel.  
  
Ryou sat patiently as the other cleaned his forehead. The injury he hadn't been aware of slowly started to throb. He bit his lip and kept quiet until the task was finished.  
  
"Why are you still in town, Ryou?" Malik asked finally done.  
  
"Yami left. He wouldn't listen to me. I'm all alone now."  
  
Malik nodded sadly. He tried half-heartedly to correct the boy's error, "You're not alone, and you have friends in Domino."  
  
"Good for me," Ryou mumbled again. Malik scowled.  
  
"Snap out of it, Ryou. Your yami left and moping around all day isn't going to bring him back."  
  
Ryou nodded, not caring. His eyes watched the floor remotely.  
  
"Ryou, I'm going to slap you if you don't quit it," Malik threatened.  
  
"Quit what?" Ryou asked, looking up quickly.  
  
"Looking at your own world. You need to wake up,"  
  
"Oh yeah, sorry about that Malik," Ryou apologized quietly.  
  
The blonde's expression lit up slightly with a sudden inspiration, "You need something to do Ryou, get your mind off things."  
  
"Die?"  
  
"NO!" Malik corrected, "Play guitar or something."  
  
Ryou shook his head and smirked faintly.  
  
"A parting gift from my Yami: He cut the strings on my acoustic."  
  
"Get new ones then."  
  
Ryou pouted slightly at this, "I don't feel like it."  
  
"I don't care," Malik mocked in the same tone. Ryou frowned at him.  
  
"In fact, Ryou, I'll personally make sure you buy those new strings. You need to get out of your house."  
  
Ryou shook his head as he was unwillingly dragged out the door. The absence of a car in the street only made his heart sink lower. Malik was trying vainly to make him cheer up and it wasn't working. Nothing was working.  
  
"Owe!" Ryou yelped as Malik just jabbed him in the ribs, "What the-?"  
  
"You were spacing out again, Ryou," the blonde haired Egyptian announced, "You aren't allowed to do that."  
  
Ryou frowned. There where lots of things he couldn't do and now they involved thinking as well? He didn't agree with it. He wanted his Yami to come back and chase Malik away for him. It's not that Ryou didn't like the blonde, it was just he tended to be so annoying.  
  
"Malik, I don't want to go."  
  
"I'll use the Millennium Rod," the other threatened.  
  
With a sigh, Ryou trailed behind. He thought of where his Yami must be. Maybe he was on a plane in one of his several flights to reach Romania? The boy didn't know. He didn't want to know. He just hoped the Spirit would miss him; notice he didn't have zero feeling for his hikari.  
  
Ryou believed his Yami loved him and would realize this eventually. His dark was sure to return and not flat out apologize, granted, but maybe make up for his behavior someway.  
  
Optimism.  
  
"You walk so slow, Ryou," Malik admonished, stopping and waiting for his friend to catch up.  
  
With a faint grin, Ryou sped up, causing Malik to smile. No point in upsetting people, right?  
  
  
*===*===*===*===*  
  
  
Ryou flipped through the pages of his small blue notebook carefully. He reached a clean page and with his pen wrote, simply:  
  
"Journal,  
  
'I can wait. I will wait."  
  
With a sigh he closed the pages and walked to the window, staring down the street.  
  
"Goodnight, Yami," he muttered.  
  
  
  
_Ore no fuku kuchibue wa wari to akarui uta de  
  
Zen sekai no hitotachi ni sasagerareta **noizu**  
  
Dare hitori shiru hazu no nai kono **merodei** ga, omae ni wa kikoeru ka?   
  
Sayonara da  
  
**Love me**_  
  
  
  
*===*===*===*===* *===*===*===*===*  
  
  
  
Don't ask me what optimism is, I couldn't tell you.  
  
And which song do you want to thank for this update inspiration? Uh, "Love Me?" I think it's by The Hong Kong Knife. Ending song to Yami no Matsuie *grins impishly*. Last lyrics translation:  
  
"The whistle I give is the bright noise / that's dedicated to the people around the world / Can you hear this melody that no one knows? / It's over / Love me" (Note: Dashes are where line ends, not sentence. Yeah, one's cut in half. ^^U)  
  
AN: *grins* Heh, last chapter I can think of. Not what you expected, eh? First it wouldn't update, next I got cold feet, and then I was kicked offline for a week. I'm so very sorry for that. You all must be ticked!  
  
*grins sheepishly and ducks rotten vegetables*  
  
I though so much. I should write a sequel or something.  
  
  
Thanks to all the reviewers, you people are very encouraging. I didn't get one flame, that was so kind of you guys [ehem, girls]! Wow, this is my most reviewed fic. I'm surprise people read it, and didn't just all review because of my threats! Wow, I remember typing this in my grandparents house during Christmas, and not it's done! You people have been reading this for what, thirty plus weeks? Now it's over (my plot is done).  
  
Arigatou, everyone! You people kept this fic alive for so long. You're amazing!  
  
Bright side: I'm writing Otogi Ryuuji (Duke Devlin) fics now and "Plans" is doing great. If you haven't read "Plans," I suggest you do if you like insane Ryou.  
  
Just saying, you don't have to. I'm not trying to promote my self.  
  
Well, not that much.  
  
Heh, I don't want this to end. The AN's getting so long….  
  
Argh, thank you! I'm stopping now, I hope everyone enjoyed this and don't get too mad at the ending.  
  
Shutting up now.  
  
The End  



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